#I'm not sure how widely known the references are so I'll just list them as much as I can!

[yokohamabeans]

Glossary

Note: This page explains some of the terms / references used in my fic, Requital of a Crane. Explanations are very summarized and will only highlight pertinent points from the story, so do look these up if you’re interested in knowing more! This list will be updated with each new chapter.

Series Index

Chapter 1

Journey to the West [ 西遊記; Xī Yóu Jì / Saiyuki ] : A famous 16th Century Chinese novel about the legendary pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk and his disciples to retrieve sacred scriptures from the ‘Western Regions’ (India) [ 天竺; Tiānzhú / Tenjiku ]. In the manga, Izana and Kakucho alluded to this story as kids at the orphanage when coming up with the idea of Tenjiku.

Sanzō Bōshi [ 三蔵法師 ] : Japanese translation for Tang Sanzang [ 唐三藏; Táng Sānzàng ], the Buddhist monk making the titular pilgrimage in Journey to the West. It is believed that eating his flesh would grant immortality.

Son Gokū [ 孫悟空 ] : Japanese translation for Sun Wukong [ 孙悟空; Sūn Wùkōng ], or the Monkey King, who is Tang Sanzang’s first disciple and main bodyguard. Before meeting Tang Sanzang, he committed a series of offences against the gods and heaven, and was imprisoned and immobilised under the Five Elements Mountain [ 五行山; Wǔxíng Shān ] for six hundred years (or five) before being freed by the Bodhisattva of Mercy , who entrusts him with the mission to guard Tang Sanzang on his journey. To keep Sun Wukong in check, the Goddess makes him wear a magical headband that will tighten and cause an unbearable headache whenever Tang Sanzang recites a special incantation. The Bodhisattva of Mercy [ 観音; Guānyīn / Kannon ] is often depicted as a woman in white robes, holding a vase of pure water that relieves suffering.

Jade Emperor [ 玉皇 (大帝); Yù Huáng / Gyokukōtaitei ] : The supreme leader of the Heavens in Chinese folklore. In Chinese Buddhism, he is identified with Taishakuten [ 帝釈天 ], who rules and commands the Four Heavenly Kings [ 四天王; Sì Tiānwáng / Shitennō ]. In Journey to the West, he is constantly antagonised by Sun Wukong and he seeks the Buddha’s help in teaching him a lesson with imprisonment.

Ashura [ 阿修羅; Ashura ] : A type of Buddhist demon / demigod who is powerful and driven by intense passions, such as wrath, violence, pride and greed. They are usually depicted as having three faces and six (or four) arms.

Kokudō Station [ 国道駅; Kokudō-eki ] : A real-life station in Tsurumi Ward of Yokohama City. The place where South and Kakucho fought is likely based off here.

Chapter 2

Furo [ 風呂 ] : Japanese-style bathtub that is usually deep and narrow. Typically comes with most Japanese houses and apartments. 

Ultraman : A popular superhero character in Japan.

FamilyStore : Tokyo Revenger’s in-universe allusion to the FamilyMart chain of convenience store in Japan.

BlackBox Magazine : An adult / gravure magazine in Japan.

Chapter 3

The Legend of Bo Ya : Bo Ya was a Chinese musician during the Warring Periods. His friendship with Zhong Ziqi is often used as an example of an ideal friendship, and the origin of the term zhī yīn [ 知音; lit. know the tune ] which is used to describe a close and sympathetic friend.

Ron [ 栄 / ロン ] : Winning in Japanese Mahjong with the discarded tile of another player. The player who discarded the tile must pay for all the points attained in the round by the winner.

In Japan, casinos are illegally operated by yakuza / criminal groups.

Chapter 4

The Tale of Genji : Classic work of Japanese literature, written in the early 11th Century by the noblewoman Murasaki Shikibu. It is a work of fiction essentially about the life and many romances of the handsome and amorous Prince Hikaru Genji (光源氏), a son of the Japanese Emperor. One of his romantic pursuits is the wife of provincial deputy, who he calls Utsusemi (空蝉; lit. ‘empty cicada/locust’, aka cicada/locust shell). ‘Sadly I muse upon the shell of a lady’ is a line from a poem in her chapter.

After : Term that hosts and hostesses use to refer to a meeting with clients after club hours.

Mizu-shōbai [ 水商売; lit. Water Trade ] : Night-time entertainment business in Japan.

Seiza [ 正坐 ] : A formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan in a kneeling position.

Gyōza [ 餃子 ] : Japanese dumplings. In Character Book 3, Mocchi recounts a story where he had them with Kakucho and vomited it out after a fight with him.

In Japan, the Customs and Tariff Bureau is under the Ministry of Finance.

Japanese Mahjong Terms Used:

Chī [ 吃 / チー] : Making a meld (sequence of 3 consecutive tiles) from a discarded tile from the player before you.

Pon [ 碰 / ポン ] : Making a set of 3 identical tiles from a discarded tile from any player.

Tsumo [ 自摸 / ツモ ] : Winning with a tile drawn by the player themselves. All other players must pay for the points attained in the round by the winner from this type of winning.

Chītoi [ 七対 ] : A special winning hand in mahjong made up of 7 pairs of tiles. This hand can only be drawn entirely by the player, which makes it one of the more difficult hands to attain.

Kokushi Musō aka Thirteen Orphans [ 国士無双 ] : A special winning hand in mahjong made up of all terminal and honour tiles. This hand can only be drawn entirely by the player, and is worth full points.

Ryūīsō [ 緑一色 ] : A special winning hand made up of only green tiles. This hand is worth full points.

Iiwan [ 一萬 ] , Chūsō [ 九索 ] : Numbered tiles in mahjong. 

Shā [ 西; West ] : One of the honour and wind tiles, which are named after the four cardinal directions. Winds go in order of East > South > West > North.

Chapter 5

"Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?” Quote from Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

LINE : An instant messaging / social network application, used as the main platform for communication in Japan.

Tennyō [ 天女 ] : Celestial maidens in Japanese Buddhism. Often described as female servants or courtesans for the emperor of heaven, and companions of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Tanabata [ 七夕 ] : Annual festival in Japan celebrating the reunion of Orihime and Hikoboshi, which is based on the Chinese folklore of Cowherd and Weaver Girl. It tells the story of two star-crossed lovers who are only allowed to reunite on a bridge of magpies, every year on the seventh day of the seventh month. Legend has it that if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies cannot form the bridge and the lovers must wait for another year to meet.

Zaibatsu [ 財閥 ] : Large Japanese conglomerates that have existed since the pre-World War II period, usually owned by a single family.

“There are as many sorts of women as there are women.” Quote from The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu.

 TBC | Last Updated: 9 February 2023

[grey-eyed-menace]

Hello there.

My name is Lenzie, and well, uh...

I actually don't know how to phrase this, but, as I'm pretty stumped about my three Twisted Wonderland OC's I'd like people to send in questions about them!

I'll accept any and all questions about them, so long as they aren't incredibly inappropriate.

There most basic information, and pretty much all I've come up for them, are listed under their picrews.

And they're all Chibi's because the Chibi picrew had the best selection in my opinion.

Now, without a further ado, here they are!

First up is the Yuuki Cousins! Who, rather regrettably, have been redesigned slightly in that they aren't related, but they still grew up together!

Alongside his lovely co-kidnappee, he's only about sixteen once he ends up in Twisted Wonderland.

This fine gentleman is Yuuki Yuuya, better known as 'Yuu' by his friends, with the added appeal of no one being quite sure if Yuuki or Yuuya is his first name, it's generally assumed Yuuya is, and due to Subaru's last name, people generally reference his last name as Yuuki.

He passes off his everyday fashion as his Dorm Uniform, and Crowley... Can't really contest it, as Ramshackle technically now counts as a dorm...

He's a bit like an over excited puppy, always rushing headfirst into danger and asking questions later, and, is, technically speaking, the real 'MC' of my story, as he is put in Ramshackle with Grim.

He's also a Disney Nerd, and is both completely flabbergasted at his new surroundings and absolutely thrilled.

He also might have a thing about Thorne. Subaru's convinced it's a general 'Cute Bunny' thing, it's not. He's lying. Everything he claims about the situation is a lie.

It's like Agatha and Ortho, the former claims that the latter isn't special to them, and then the latter does the 'smile' thing, and suddenly the former is throwing candy at their creator passive aggressively.

...okay, so maybe it's not like Agatha and Ortho, (and it's definitely not Idia and Agatha because that's a very specific dynamic based on shared pessimism, misanthropy, and what Agatha equates to shared trauma), but nonetheless.

Calls Malleus 'Stranger Danger'.

He also bought a baby sling for Grimm, said Demon-Like-Cat is unamused.

And the other Yuuki attending NRC.

Yuuki Subaru!

Again, like her 'cousin', (it was an easy lie, and at the very least, it guarantees that no one will be loosing their heads over her and Yuu being alone in the same room), she's only about sixteen when they end up in Twisted Wonderland.

She's also incredibly pissed about it.

Subaru, unlike her best friend, is sorted into Pomefiore!

Back home, she was a somewhat small-time up and coming idol... Who was perpetually broke.

She's sorted into Pomefiore on the grounds of her core values... And amusement.

Beyond that, she's a very hard worker and values blunt honesty above all else.

Because she's literally a minute away from decking everyone in the face, and isn't really into keeping up the 'Persona' she had back home unless she's on stage, mostly because there's no point, she's tired, and honestly just wants everyone to shut-up so she can pass out.

She gets along with Leona simply because she feels kinship with the fact that he wants to sleep through most of the day.

Comes up with increasingly weird nicknames for Malleus every time they meet, (first time is Tsunotaro, as is canon, second time is Green-Eye's, third time she's under the genuine impression that his fondness for Thorne means they're related-or dating and calls him Not-Blondie for some reason), infuriates Sebek, amused Lilia, and Thorne is just really... Confused? She wants to say confused.

This is Rista Caspian!

He's the fifth born Prince of the Coral Sea, (and unfortunately NOT the bain of Rielle's school experience at RSA much to his eternal lamentation, fortunately Claire's doing just fine on her own), and a third year at NRC.

He has an adventurous streak a mile wide, and thinks himself something of a troublemaker, even if that's not exactly the truth.

As he's fifth in line for the throne, he doesn't have as many responsibilities as his older brother and and sisters, which freed him to attend NRC on land.

It also resulted in a somewhat... Less than stellar habit of not owning up to his mistakes and a lack of responsibility.

(Also, the entire reason he wasn't picked as Dorm Head? Spite. Pure unfiltered spite. Crowley made one vaguely insulting comment about Queen Minerva and it was war. Tradition be damned.)

His eldest sister, Thea, is the Crown Princess.

In order his siblings are...

Thea, Alan, Renna, Ven, himself, Claire, and Rielle.

Twisted from Ariel's elder sister Arista.

I have a vague idea about his Unique Magic being called 'Siren's Song'.

By the time of Chapter Three, he and Thorne have a weird friendship built on an incident involving them raiding the school kitchen.

And finally, the Disamonia first year, Thorne Brodeur!

The daughter of a very well off family from Pyroxene, and completely human... Er, maybe.

She's a very skittish and quiet young woman who ended up face planting against the Mirror when Subaru and Yuu rushed into the ritual chamber.

Thorne was good friends with Neige LeBlanche as a small child, but eventually, (purposely), fell out of touch with him once his career took off as her father started to push for a much... Different relationship afterwards, she straight up disappears during Chapter Five because of this, and no one can find her. NO ONE.

No one's quite sure what that says about her usual efforts to disappear.

She really doesn't know why she ended up in Disamonia, but Lilia seems endlessly amused by it, and everyone else is vaguely confused.

She's twisted from the Spindle that pricked Aurora's finger.

Her Unique Magic, as it is currently, so far has the working title of 'Wicked Lullaby'.

A good chunk of her hair gets lopped off during Leona's Overblot, and Lilia ends up in evening it out, and to Sebek's eternal frustration, she starts taking after Floyd on how to wear her uniform more casually...

[annaphoenix1994]

Horseshoe Overlook - Polite Society, Valentine Style

"You sure you'll be alright here by yourself?" Jameson asked Minnie as she helped him mount her horse.

"I know I will, nothin' is gonna happen while you're away," She assured. "Now, smoke you a pipe as Trace leads the way. He'll take care of you and knows when there's trouble," She explained. "Now, if he starts to get antsy, hang on!" She giggled. She could tell her father was intimidated by her horse who towered over anything close to him, but he knew that she was confident in her horse as he had been in her possession for a few years now. Trace was considered "broker than broke" as he was more used to gunfire and running than walking along a trail, which Minnie considered to be a good break for him as he toted her father along the way to the town of Valentine, which was a good hour-long ride at a walk.

"Be good, I'll see you when you get back tonight!" She cheered.

"You too," Her father replied.

"I was talkin' to Trace," Minnie teased.

"I see where I stand!" He joked.

She playfully scoffed, "Get outta here!"

She smiled and shook her head as she returned to her duties around the cabin. Sweeping the porch, making the beds, tidying the cabinets, and tending to the chickens while replacing the straw that lined their nesting boxes. She enjoyed being an outlaw, but something about the simple and honest life suited her. She guessed it was where her mother had always wanted to be. 'Momma would slap me blind if she knew how I made a livin',' Minnie said to herself as she wiped her hands on her apron, letting her thoughts wander to the loving memories of her mother, not paying any mind to the two pairs of eyes watching her from the treeline a few hundred yards away.

"Is that her?" One of the stalkers asked the other, using his green scarf to wipe the beads of sweat on his temple.

"Oh, that's her," The other one replied, licking his lips.

"Should we go and get her?"

"No, we go back and tell Colm where she's at, then he'll give us the go," He explained. "The place is nice and quiet - good to lie low for a while. Colm's itchin' to get off of that mountain."

"Why is he sending us after this woman anyway?"

"He didn't tell you? That's Minnie Barlow - the most dangerous woman outlaw since Pearl Hart!"

"So he has some sort of crush?"

"I guess you can call it that. He met her in a saloon a while ago and she threatened his life. Reckon it embarrassed him since he expected to get along so well with another outlaw, but you know how Colm is. His pride gets the better of 'em. She also has a high bounty of a few thousand dollars. Enough to get us outta here for a while!"

He scoffed, "Shit, I say let's get her now and take the money and return it to Colm!"

"No, we do as he says. Let's hurry and get back. Reckon he'll want to make a move when her father gets back. You go to Valentine and scope things out and I'll get back to camp," He directed as the other man nodded. "Don't screw this up!"

───※ ·❆· ※───

𝓦𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓸𝓯𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓻𝓸𝓭𝓮 𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓻𝔂 𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓼. 𝓐𝓲𝓷'𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓯𝓪𝓻 𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓪 𝔂𝓮𝓪𝓻. 𝓓𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓱 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓶𝓼 𝓪 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻. 𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝓱𝓮'𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓬𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓻. 𝓘 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝔀𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓪 𝓵𝓲𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓲𝓮𝓻. 𝓢𝓹𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓸𝓵𝓮 𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓼...

Arthur closed his journal and put on his jacket, which was something he was eager to wear as it was lightweight, yet warm. Something to keep the morning chill off of his shoulders. He looked around the new camp as he placed his hat on his head, nodding at Hosea as he approached him with a hot cup of coffee.

"Arthur," Hosea nodded.

"Hosea," He greeted, taking the warm tin cup from the old man's hands.

"Quite a day!" Hosea smiled, his arms wide.

"Let's hope so," Arthur grunted, taking a sip of the coffee.

"There's a bunch of the boys already in Valentine. Bill, Charles, and Javier... I'm sure they're, uh, finding some way of relieving some stress, and Swanson found something down at the train station by the lake apparently. And Strauss came back with that creepy little smile on his face. I'm sure there's a whole list of unfortunates he's forced money upon," Hosea explained as he watched Arthur sip his coffee, yawning in between.

Arthur chuckled, "Thank you. And you?"

"I'm gonna read a book," Hosea replied hastily.

Arthur nodded with a chuckle, finding a comfort in talking to the old man as he will forever look up to him as a father figure - something he never had, or at least he never remembered.

He was eager to get out and explore the Heartlands, but he would also rather sit back and rest without having to use all of his energy to stay warm. He looked around as he walked to the pot to get a bowl of stew, scarfing it down before making his way to the sleeping older man sitting up against a wagon. The man went by the name 'Uncle,' which nobody knew his real name, nor did they want to know. All Arthur knew him as was the old man who was just another mouth to feed, but was much entertainment when the camp needed it. He at least had some stories, whether they were true or not.

He shook his head as he stormed over to the old man, waking him with a solid kick to the leg. "Careful not to work yourself to death there, Uncle," Arthur said.

"I was thinkin'," Uncle replied as he staggered to his feet, his white beard stained with tobacco just below his bottom lip.

"Does it pay well?"

"Eventually," Uncle grumbled as Arthur placed a palm on his shoulder.

"So, while the rest of us are busy stealin', killin', lyin', fighting to try to survive, you get to think all day," Arthur explained.

"It's a strange world we live in, Arthur Morgan," Uncle said.

"Do you wanna head into town, see if we can find anything out?" He proposed.

"Sure, I got some errands to run!"

"Great, go check the horses are ready," Arthur commanded as Uncle did as he was told with a grumble.

"If you're gonna take the old man into town, can you take us too?" Karen Jones asked as she eavesdropped into their conversation.

"Why, what you got planned?" Arthur asked, striking a match on the bottom of his boot, lighting a well-needed cigarette.

"Nothin'," Karen replied, waving her hand for Mary-Beth and Tilly Jackson to follow her, hoping to pressure Arthur into taking them into town. "We'll find somethin' for y'all to do, we always do!"

"We're bored out of our minds!" Mary-Beth added, her brown eyes begging Arthur for approval. "Karen's about ready to murder Grimshaw!" She giggled.

"Well, can Miss Grimshaw spare you?" Arthur asked, puffing his cigarette.

"Can't Miss Grimshaw spare you?" Karen repeated. "What's happened to you, Arthur? Three young healthy women want you to take 'em robbing and you're worried about house chores! Let's go!" Karen begged.

"Fair enough, you got me," Arthur chuckled, throwing away his cigarette as the women loaded themselves up onto the wagon.

The women cheered in excitement as they were about to see civilization, something completely opposite from Arthur's thoughts, of course, but he was eager to see other people aside from the ones he shared his life with. He could definitely use a drink, especially sharing a bench seat with Uncle.

───※ ·❆· ※───

"Howdy!" Jameson Barlow said as he entered the general store, making his presence known to the shopkeeper and his long-time friend, Graham.

"How're you, sir?" Graham replied.

"Eh, I'm gettin' on," Jameson replied. "I need some produce and canned foods. Runnin' low back at the cabin!" He chuckled.

"I understand. I just got these in this past Tuesday - nice and fresh! How's little Anna doin'?" Graham asked, referring to Minnie by her middle name as he knew she was well known around Valentine. He and Jameson have become close friends throughout the years as they once attended church together and he kept a close eye on the rumors he had heard, wanting to do his best to protect Jameson and Minnie as he held them dear to his heart.

"She's doin' well. She's actually stayin' with me for a few days I reckon. I don't like when she goes out on her own like that," Jameson frowned, referring to her "work" as an outlaw. If he could change one thing, it would to keep her a good, honest young lady instead of a thief, but nonetheless, he loved her.

Graham nodded, "I understand. I haven't seen her in a while. I miss seein' her little curly blonde hair on Sunday mornin' when she was little!" He chuckled. "Miss hearin' those church songs, too. She has the voice of an angel!"

"That she does. She didn't learn it from me! That's all her momma's doin'!" Jameson smiled. "I think I'll get me a couple of cigars and a bottle of whiskey. Can't leave out the whiskey!" The men shared a laugh as Graham gladly packed up Jameson's provisions, nodding at the new customers who had walked through the door. "Good day, gentlemen!" Graham greeted. Jameson turned to look at the men, one of them around his age, but with a coarser white beard and the other around Minnie's age, wearing a worn leather hat and light leather jacket. He took note of the bright blue shirt he had on underneath as it was one of his favorite colors.

New faces.

Jameson nodded at the new faces as he made his way out the door of the general store, taking a seat on the bench just outside, cracking open the new bottle of whiskey.

"I'm gonna run to the saloon real quick, Arthur," The old man addressed as they were now outside the general store as well. The younger man nodded as he walked towards Jameson, greeting him. "You mind if I rest here, bud?" He asked.

"Sure!" Jameson said as he scooted closer to the edge of the bench, giving the younger man plenty of room as he was broader than most young men he had seen in the area.

"Name's Jameson," He said after taking another sip of whiskey, offering his hand to the other man.

"Arthur," He nodded, shaking his hand.

"You from 'round here?"

"Not really," Arthur shook his head. "We've been travellin' for a while, tryin' to find somewhere to settle down. So far, we think this place looks good."

"You and your wife?" Jameson assumed.

Arthur chuckled, "Nah, I don't have a wife. Me and a few of my colleagues were laid off from our jobs at the oil plant. Guess we're livin' like a bunch of gypsies now, but that's all we have." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry, friend. Times is tough nowadays. You sound like my daughter. She's all the time travellin' and I get worried. Gangs and all that," Jameson explained. "She used to be a homebody, never wanting to leave home. I guess she grew out of that,"

"What's her name?" Arthur asked, getting a hint that he was talking about who he thought he was.

"Anna." Jameson replied after a brief pause.

Arthur chuckled, resting his suspicion, "You folk from around here?"

Jameson shrugged, "Somewhat. We moved here from Annesburg years ago, right before Min-Anna was born," He hastily corrected himself, hoping Arthur didn't take note, in which he did, but kept a calm demeanor when he was erratic inside. "We were real big into church for a few years. Anna sang in the choir and has the voice of an angel. I wish she'd sing more when she's home. Reminds me of her momma. She passed a couple of years ago," He frowned.

"I'm sorry to hear that, friend," Arthur assured. "I can tell you were sweet on her."

"I sure was," Jameson chuckled, remembering his lovely wife. "I don't know much about you, friend, but I can tell you have more heart than any other fool who sat and listened to my troubles. When you find that special person, you'll know. Once you do, don't ever let them go. Anything can happen and it's a hard feeling, but it's worth it in the end - to have all kinds of special memories with someone you hold dear to your heart. My daughter is the only thing I have left and I try so desperately to hang on to her, but when she leaves, I worry that she won't come back and that's what keeps me up at night." He explained.

Arthur's heart broke for the man, realizing that he had never had this type of feeling before. He actually wanted to listen to him and his stories. Not just because he put together the pieces that Minnie Barlow was his daughter, but Jameson had a heart that reminded him of himself. He cared deeply about those close to him, but a stranger would never know it.

"I hope things get better for you, friend," Arthur sighed. "What does she do, if you don't mind me askin'?"

Jameson sighed, not wanting to tell Arthur in fear of him being a bounty hunter, but something about Arthur told him that he could be trusted as he didn't seem the one to seek information so boldly. He at least cared to hear about her life story beforehand. "She's, uh, I guess you can say a traveller..."

He really wanted to get her secret off of his chest as he has kept it inside for almost ten years now.

But for her safety, he couldn't.

"She works here and there as a journalist. She's been back and forth to Saint Denis a many a time. I worry, but she has been takin' the train a lot, so I don't worry as much," He lied. Arthur took note of this, but he understood why. All he could do was nod as he listened.

"I'm sure she will be fine, sir," Arthur replied. "So, I see you got some bait here, you like to hunt?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I sure do. I like goin' after deer and elk, but I'm not as young as I used to be." He chuckled.

"You sound just like my father," Arthur smirked, referring to Hosea.

"If you're ever free, I live north of Citadel Rock back in the woods. It's a little cabin that I named 'Six Point Cabin' after my wife..." He suggested.

"I'll give that some thought," Arthur nodded. "Why'd you name it that, if I may ask?"

"She killed a six-point buck before she passed and thought it was the greatest trophy in the world. She remembered that for a long time as it made her dearly happy as she never went huntin' much, especially for deer," Jameson smiled. "Like I was tellin' ya, when you love someone that much, you remember the things that make them more happy than yourself," He explained, pointing his finger. "I remember her every day looking at that trophy over my fireplace, remembering how happy it made her. And come to think of it, I remember her every day I see my daughter. I guess she's the last thing I have left of her and I worry every day about losin' her. I guess it's better to have loved and lost than never loved at all," He frowned. "Anyway, I won't keep ya much longer. I gotta get back," He continued as he slowly rose to his aching feet. "It was nice to meet you, Arthur."

Arthur nodded as he shook the old man's hand, watching him walk towards a tall buckskin Quarter Horse, putting his provisions in the saddlebags. Jameson turned to Arthur once more, "I gotta run to the hotel real quick and wash up, care to keep an eye on the horse for me? The old bastard will spook on my watch!" Jameson joked.

"Sure thing!" Arthur nodded as he looked at the horse once more, taking in how beautiful the animal was. 'He must've paid good money for that one,' Arthur thought. To pass the time, he pulled out his journal, noting a quick sketch of the horse for his memory before writing a brief passage:

𝓜𝓮𝓽 𝓪𝓷 𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓻 𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓭 𝓙𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓷 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓮. 𝓘'𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓲𝓷 𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓷' 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓷 𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓶𝓪𝓷'𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓾𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝓮. 𝓦𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴𝓲𝓷' 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝔂 𝓷𝓸𝓽-𝓼𝓸-𝓯𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓫𝓳𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓼: 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝓘 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓼 𝓰𝓸 𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓪 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓽. 𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷' 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮, 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝓪𝓵𝓵. 𝓘 𝓰𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓘'𝓵𝓵 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽. 𝓦𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝓼𝓸 𝓰𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴𝓲𝓷' 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓭𝓪𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓘 𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓜𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝓑𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓸𝔀. 𝓘𝓽'𝓼 𝓼𝓸 𝓸𝓭𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓴𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓲𝓷' 𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷' 𝓼𝓸 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝔀 𝓭𝓪𝔂𝓼. 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓱𝔂 𝓪𝓶 𝓘 𝓼𝓸 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓻?

He closed his journal, feeling better that his thoughts made it from his brain to paper. He leaned back in the bench, stretching out his legs and crossing them at his ankles as he crossed his arms over his chest, bowing his head to rest his eyes. He soon was joined by Uncle, hearing him through his muffled thoughts, going on about how he pictured himself to be married to an heiress by now instead of moving with a band of outlaws.

Small patters of shoes gently nudged him awake, seeing that Mary-Beth had some interesting information for the men. He sat up slowly, looking at the woman as she kept her voice hushed. He blinked the sleep from his eyes as he listened to her explain.

"Gentlemen, I think I got somethin' good!" Mary-Beth proposed, giggling at how rapidly Arthur blinked as he tried to keep his focus on her when his main focus was on napping.

"What?" Arthur slurred.

"I snuck into this fancy house - acted like a servant girl, usually works," She explained. "Someone was saying her sister was taking a trip from New York or someplace. Train full of rich tourists heading to Saint Denis and then cruising off to Brazil!"

"Okay," Arthur nodded, his attention fully on her.

"A train laden with baggage and passing through a bit of deserted country at night as to get to the docks in time for the tides in some place called Scarlett Meadows..."

"Yeah, I know it," Uncle nodded, his face plastered with a cheeky grin. "Yeah, yeah, it's right out near New Hanover. Right, it's real quiet out there,"

"Sounds good," Arthur nodded, scratching his growing beard. 'I really need to get a shave!' He thought. "Where's Tilly and Karen?" He asked.

Mary-Beth scoffed, "I think at the hotel, they were pickin' up some drunken fellers that they was going to rob-"

"Why?" Arthur asked, almost panicked.

"Seemed easy!" She argued. "They have been gone for quite a while..."

Arthur sighed, "I guess I'll go see if there's any trouble," He groaned as he stood to his tired feet, feeling Mary-Beth's hand graze his arm as he walked by, getting his attention.

"There's Tilly over there!" She pointed. "That does not look ideal..." She trailed off as she watched a tall colored man grabbing all over her, almost dragging her to the alleyway to the side of the hotel.

"Excuse me," Arthur growled as he quickly made his way to the scene, wasting no time in intervening.

"You thought I wouldn't find you, Tilly?" The colored man hissed as Arthur was coming closer to the pair.

"You can go kiss a damn snake for all I care! Get off me!" Tilly pleaded.

"Get your hands off her, friend," Arthur sneered, relieving his pistol from its holster.

"Who are you?" The colored man growled.

"A friend of mine!" Tilly replied.

"Get off her," Arthur said in a low tone, hinting that his next move would be fatal if he didn't follow direction.

"Or what exactly?" He taunted.

"You wanna find out?" Arthur questioned, pulling back the hammer slowly.

The colored man backed off slowly, pointing his finger at Tilly, "You're makin' a big mistake, Tilly Jackson," He warned.

"Just get lost!" She hissed before turning and walking towards Arthur, seeking his protection.

"I ain't doin' this with you right now!" He mumbled.

"Go wait with Uncle and Mary-Beth, they're across the street," Arthur directed.

"Okay, thanks Arthur," She smiled. He nodded as he gently pats her shoulder, "Uncle! Look after her! I'm gonna go see about Karen in the hotel!"

He steadily made his way into the hotel of Valentine, politely asking the receptionist about the woman's whereabouts, informing him that she was in her mid-twenties and had blonde hair and was last seen with a man. The receptionist nodded as he said a woman fitting her description made her way upstairs not too long ago.

"A-Are you a friend of his?" He dared to ask.

"A friend of hers," Arthur grit. "Where is she?"

"Uh, 2B! Please, no trouble!"

"Just a word," Arthur assured as he ascended the stairs, cracking his knuckles as he knew this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Get off of me!" He heard Karen plead. His pace became faster as he tried to pinpoint the exact location of 2B. He gripped the knob firmly, growing agitated that it was locked. Instead, he stepped back and got enough momentum to kick open the door, seeing a man in his underwear putting his hands all over Karen. Sure, Arthur could be a bad man and easily kill a man, but something about a man putting his hands all over a woman made his blood boil.

"Hey!" Arthur shouted.

"Who are you?" The stranger questioned, obvious that he was drunk. Arthur quickly scanned the room, growing more aggravated that he saw Karen's lip bleeding.

"A friend of hers," Arthur growled.

"Get outta here, buddy, I paid!" The stranger slurred.

"Ain't paid to hit her, you goddamn animal!" He said as he balled his fists, lunging at the man before he had a chance to lunge at him. Arthur was upset that it was a brief fight, but was glad it was over with.

"What the hell were you doin' here?" He questioned her.

"Tryin' to play him... Not very well," She explained.

"You okay?" He asked, looking her over.

"Fine..." She said, waving her hand and gripping her wrist as Arthur ushered for her to walk in front of him just in case the stranger got another wild streak to come after her again.

"You sure?" He continued to question as they were now walking down the hallway.

"Yeah, nothing... Nothing to worry about... Just men, but, stupid bastard - the stupid bastard was boasting about the bank..." She explained.

"The bank?"

"Sure, I know small-town banks are usually a waste of time, but this is a livestock town, there's lots of cash sometimes," Karen explained as they descended the stairs.

"Okay," Arthur said as he scratched his beard. "Keep investigating,"

"I will," Karen breathed. He nodded at the receptionist as he ushered Karen outside, motioning for her to meet the others at the general store. He looked both ways before crossing the muddy street, taking note of the buckskin Quarter Horse still hitched next to the general store.

"Thank you, Arthur," Karen said, holding her cheek. "I don't much like bein' saved, but when I have to be,"

"I understand," Arthur assured her as they met up with the others, Mary-Beth and Tilly quickly tending to Karen's injuries.

"You okay?"

"Sure, he only punched me!" Karen replied. Arthur chuckled as he pat her shoulder in assurance, knowing that she secretly wanted it. "Arthur punched him a lot harder."

"Yeah, alright then," He replied, furrowing his brows as he looked at Mary-Beth, seeing the concern in her eyes.

"Hey, who's that guy over there looking at us?" She whispered.

"Weren't you in Blackwater a few weeks back?" A well-tailored stranger questioned.

"Me? No, sir. Ain't from there," Arthur replied sternly.

"Oh, you were. Well, I definitely saw you. With a bunch of fellers!" He accused from the back of his horse.

"Me? No," Arthur shook his head. "Impossible. Listen, buddy, come here for a minute," He coaxed.

"I saw you!" He spat, spooking his horse. "Come on, get!" He encouraged.

"I don't like this..." Uncle said as Arthur turned to the others.

"Me neither," He groaned, rushing to the buckskin horse, hoping he won't regret his decision. "Go get the girls home! I'm gonna go have a word with our friend," He explained as he mounted the tall horse.

"Be careful, Arthur!" Tilly said.

"Just a word!" He replied as he encouraged the horse into a gallop, amazed at the animal's agility and speed. 'Jesus Christ, what an animal!' He thought to himself as the horse made it seem easy to stay caught up with the stranger.

"Hey! That's my horse!" He heard Jameson yell from the hotel as it was now clear that Jameson was done with his chore.

"Just borrowing it!" Arthur yelled in response, hating himself for feeling like he stole an old man's reliable horse for his own selfish need. The horse had no trouble in catching up to the stranger, almost stopping on a dime when Arthur asked him to slow down to dismount as the stranger had now fallen off, hanging dearly to the cliffside.

"Why are you tellin' lies about me?" Arthur questioned.

"No, no! I-I-I got it wrong, partner... I got it very wrong, now please, help me up!" He begged.

"I ain't never been in Blackwater," Arthur growled.

"Then why are you chasing me?"

"I've got an unfortunate face!"

"Yes, yes... Me too... Now please, pull me up, please!" The stranger cried.

"Alright... Come on," Arthur sighed as he easily pulled the stranger to safety. "You okay, partner?" He asked.

"No... No, I am not," The stranger groaned as he staggered to his feet. "I'm a mess," He panted, looking at his now dirty clothes.

"Well, you ain't dead," Arthur reminded.

"There is that," He breathed, bracing his palms against his knees before standing up straight, offering his hand to shake. "Jimmy Brooks."

"I think it's best for both of us if we pretend this never happened," Arthur explained.

"Oh, I agree," Jimmy Brooks nodded. "You saved my life. You're a good man and I, err... Here, you want a pen? It's one of those steel ones!" He bargained, pulling the pen from his pocket.

Arthur nodded, amazed at the new stationery before him, "Oh, that's very kind of you, but I'm not a good man, Jimmy Brooks, not usually," He said before stepping closer to him. "You see, I was in Blackwater. I kill people. And maybe I should've killed you. Should I have killed you, Jimmy Brooks?" He intimidated, keeping eye contact with the man.

His lip quivered as he searched for a response, "Me?... I n-never saw you... Not-not now, not-not never... I think we have an understanding?"

"Of course we do," Arthur replied. "Jimmy Brooks - I will remember that. I've got a good memory," He smirked.

"I haven't! Not one lick in this old mind!" Jimmy pleaded as he made his way to his horse. Arthur shook his head as he approached the horse he had borrowed, admiring how the horse was patiently waiting on him to mount back up. A brief thought crossed his mind that if he didn't know the man who owned the horse, he would keep it as his own, but he knew the horse had to return to its rightful owner: Jameson.

The horse loped slowly along the trail until he arrived back in town, meeting Jameson halfway as he was happy to see the horse's return. "My horse! Thank you!" He smiled as Arthur dismounted.

"I told ya I was just borrowin' him!" Arthur chuckled.

"Well, my daughter would've had my hide if I let somethin' happen to her horse!" He joked. "His name is Trace," Jameson added.

"Well, Trace is a very nice animal. You're lucky, sir," Arthur said. "I had a horse like him once. Big mare who I called Boadicea," He explained.

"That's an interesting name..." Jameson replied, stroking Trace's muzzle.

Arthur chuckled, "My father named her that after a queen," He explained, his cheeks flushed as he was embarrassed.

"Ain't nothin' to be shy about, my friend. Thank you for bringing him back. Saves my daughter the heartache and me the headache!" He joked, winning a laugh from Arthur.

"I'd say so, sir," He smirked. He held out his hand to him as they have now earned each other's respect and trust. "Arthur Morgan,"

"Jameson Barlow,"

His suspicion was now confirmed: he had borrowed Minnie Barlow's horse and had a deep conversation with her father.

'And now she may kill me for ridin' her horse...'

[thesupersecretbookstore]

This Week’s Expert Picks

This has been on my TBR List forever and I finally got to it. The story is mainly about Logen Ninefingers, a barbarian know for his brutality and the will to live on. His story is intertwined with several others including a Captain in the army, a crippled man known as Inspector Glokta, and a strange wizard named Bayaz. War is on the rise, coming from the north. Conspiracies and conspirators are everywhere dashing the line between friend and foe, who is to be trusted?

For a first novel this is a fantastic start to a fantasy trilogy. Plenty of blood and swordplay as the cover suggests but it also features a ton of world building and really fleshes out each individual character. What I like about Abercrombie is that he gives you enough background to continue the plot forward but not so much that you’re bored to death with the details. The tales interweave nicely, bringing together all the characters in a unique fashion.

I’m excited to finish out the trilogy, and find out where all the characters end up next. I also love how he describes the use of magic; it isn’t an everyday thing. It is still a mysterious and unique thing when Bayaz uses it. The first book is extremely gritty and visceral and sets up the next two book’s wonderfully. Very surprised it hasn’t been made into tv series yet, but keep an eye out. CJH

It’s Thanksgiving this month and I suppose all I can hope for is that the Pandemic has quarantined you from any politically-heated family gatherings, the election surely still enough of a catalyst to keep Thanksgiving Dinner conversation lively enough.

I think we all understood what Einstein meant when he said time was relative.

R = Uncle Richard (Dick) - He will pass out in front of the TV T-minus 3 minutes into dinner.

a = Aunt Sylvia - She has a lot to say about Planned Parenthood (and it isn’t what you think/hoped for).

b = “The baby!” - Whoever has the newest baby; it’s that baby.

g = Grandma - The last remaining grandparent. Just do whatever she wants even though it rarely makes sense.

G = Cousin Greg - He’s transitioning but you can’t remember which way and that makes you an asshole so you desperately try to think of conversation topics that don’t have to do with that but it’s impossible.

T = Tyrtle - Your brother’s Golden Retriever and your Guardian Angel and savior for the night.

c = Charleen - Your cool aunt that has a few cigarettes for you when you sneak out to the backyard to have a panic attack.

Basically? Much like time, your relatives will slowly and painfully kill you but cherish them anyway.

Happy November. LAW

This Fight Is Our Fight is a battle manual for life under and after Trump. Elizabeth Warren uses every bit of her intellect and research skills to put out information in plain language on how to resurrect an economy that once served the people.

I'll be honest: I never really believed in the middle class, in the American Dream story. I thought it was a myth sold into Americana as an aesthetic. And I'm from an immigrant family. I know my grandparents came here as refugees with nothing and that my dad has two masters degrees and yet I found it incredibly hard to believe that one could start from the bottom and find financial success and freedom because I have never seen it.

Betsy, (apparently Warren's friends and family call her Betsy) with folksy phrasing, simple charts, and meticulously researched facts, proved me wrong. American capitalism worked once--with hardcore post-Depression regulations.

Warren gives us plain truths: past, present, and future. She relates the economic history of the US that led to the Great Depression; she goes deep into Franklin Delano Roosevelt's policies, then the effects of those; then Reagan's trickle down system, the aftermath of that; and how things look today.

I want to repeat that she does this all in plain language with an awkward folksiness so it almost feels like your All-American grandmother is an econ genius, like you're talking over apple pie at a Little League game. (I don't know--is that Americana? That's how I always imagine Americana. Like I said: immigrant family.)

What's amazing to me is how simple this all is. Warren easily defines terms and explains legislation that have long given me headaches. But, even better: she gives her readers a game plan. There is a clear call to action and a clear to do list set out so we know where to go from here.

I am writing this on November 5, 2020. We still don't know the final results of the presidential election and in this moment Warren's name is associated with the radical. I want to be clear that this is an important book of US Economics and I can't imagine our nation's economic future should be a partisan issue. I think everyone should read this book and if Grandma Betsy is too scary for them, she left 100 pages of notes and references from which we can dig up the academic papers and independent research from which the book was written. SE

It's not a tangible book, but a blog, yet more like a bridge between searching souls, seeking to connect without any other way except words and want. Kendra Jean Ralston's poems, while rare, are placed perfectly in a wonderfully written blog called A Borrowed Muse, which I have had the pleasure of reading for almost a decade. If you love love, like me, and want to connect to the true human spirit (like great literature is supposed to do), then just trust me and read Ms. Ralston's words every damn day when you wake up, and I guarantee you will feel less alone in the wide world. This blog has literally kept my heart going more times than 22. Let's all hope one day she decides to publish a damn book we can all hold in our dumb hands to be reminded that love is real and life is worth living. RB