#anyway I'm DEAD that's it
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Oh! What if Neuvillette dressed up as a king and Wriothesley is his knight?
Okay, I kind of mashed these two together, making it the king, the princess and the knight. As a way to lie to myself that I've drawn more costume ideas than I actually did :'D
The Duke can be very scary when he gets in character. Before you know it, you have already forfeited all of your Credit Coupons to His Royal Majesty. Long live the king!
#Halloween#Wriolette#Wriothesley#Neuvillette#Sigewinne#king#knight#princess#Genshin Impact#sketches#my art#I just think Wrio works SO well as Neuvi's brave knight ;;w;;#anyway I'm DEAD that's it#there are so many more like HTTYD Final Fantasy Howl's Moving Castle Good Omens#so many amazing things you've suggested that I'd love to draw but I'd have to be revived first#call your local necromancer or something#THANK YOU [flips over and dies]
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ghost of you
super quick Sua screencap redraw to celebrate the new video release - no I was not expecting it to be Like That and yes I was devastated
(no reposts; reblogs appreciated)
#my art#artists on tumblr#digital art#fanart#alien stage#mizisua#alnst#alnst sua#why is the acronym so hard to type correctly#drawing doomed yuri on valentines day </3#was not planning to make alnst fanart but i was contemplating violence and that reminded me of the show#long story short 3/4 of a class i'm in failed an exam#and the prof refuses to acknowledge that maybe he needs to revise his teaching methods#instead of blaming all of us for being stupid#anyway this isnt about him#i saw someone call sua the dead wife and wow so true#flashback queen#hyuna was actually my fave...time to pick a new one i guess!#now that im putting the art and the ref side by side i can see a billion mistakes#i will say the warmer tones + sua smiling more is on purpose tho#call it mizi vision with those rose tinted glasses#u ever think about how the ppl you love can haunt you#there have been so many times i thought a stranger was someone i knew bc i recognized their hair or clothes or the way they laugh#(yes lord huron is stuck in my head rn)
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Partner is a difficult word to translate
#jayvik#jayce x viktor#viktor arcane#jayce talis#ximena was so excited poor thing#jayce talis gets a friend: 3 injured thousands dead#i'm not one to headcanon jayce as latino#except when it's funny#i say this being latina myself u see#if you're wondering the official translation used “socio”#which is a business relationship#except on the last one (i just want my partner back)#where they used “compañero” which is kinda like companion#i'm talking about the subs i don't watch dubs#anyway poor viktor
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I think, perhaps one of the funniest things to come from EPIC popularising the Odyssey is that now a ton of people think Poseidon wanted to kill Odysseus.
In the Odyssey, Poseidon has no intention of killing Odysseus. In fact, part of the whole reason Zeus lets Poseidon do whatever he wants even though he thinks Odysseus is rad and should get to kiss his wife is explicitly because Poseidon had no intentions of killing Odysseus. Poseidon wanted to pay back the suffering/inconvenience blinding Polyphemus would have caused. It's a really abstract thing tbh. How do you pay back someone permanently disabling your son? Poseidon's solution was just to amputate Odysseus from his other half; i.e. Penelope. The end game was never murder, it was always an endurance race.

(Od. Book 1: Zeus reassuring Athena that he is not, in fact, a part of Odysseus Hater-Nation. Trans. Robert Fagles)
Also, for those wondering if there's any sort of in text reason for why Poseidon wasn't around in God Games - at the time in the Odyssey when Athena petitions Zeus to let Odysseus leave Calypso's island, Poseidon was -checks notes- on vacation in Ethiopia. Yep. He left to Ethiopia for a festival and thusly was very much absent for Athena's whole "please let Ody go? Please? 🥺" request.

(Od. Book 1: While Odysseus was suffering, Poseidon went to party in the east)
I am begging y'all to read the Odyssey. It's a comedy for everyone except Odysseus and Penelope who are, in fact, suffering 24/7 365.
#ginger rambles#ginger chats about greek myths#Sorry for the quality of the quotes but I'm too tired to google a pdf vers of the Odyssey and then edit those so y'all are getting#my crunchy pictures from one of my physical copies of the book lol#it's reiterated multiple times that Poseidon doesn't want Odysseus dead too#he is literally just driving him mad on the ocean because that's what Odysseus condemned Polyphemus to by blinding him#Also there's no good way to mention this but the Odyssey starts#by Zeus lamenting how mortals blame all their troubles and miseries on the gods when that's just not fair#because the gods go out of their way to warn the mortals that will be saddled with the most wretched fates#and they ignore the gods and do whatever they want anyway LMFAO#It's a really smart way to tie in the whole Orestes plot that would have wrapped up in between Odysseus getting stranded on Ogygia#and Odysseus getting off of Ogygia#epic the musical#epic the wisdom saga#zeus#athena#odysseus#poseidon#the odyssey
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Glasses buddies 😎
#dead boy detectives#charles rowland#niko sasaki#edwin payne#crystal palace#my art#i love themmm so muchh#charles+niko is such an underrated combo#anyway I'm drawing things to ease pre-flight anxiety again aaghhh
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this made me feel ill. chapter 2 vs chapter 6.
#i made this a year ago and forgot about it#i wish i had not remembered#anyways do you like his outfit is he cunty or what#I'M NAUSEATED#i can't get over this i'm sorry#rdr2#red dead redemption 2#arthur morgan
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bugs when u lift up a rock
#JOHN MARSTOONNNN#his :3 charms me#i think he looks really stupid but i'm playing the epilogue rn and i'm currently so endeared he's so funny#bites his ugly face off#this is just a crappy sketch and study but friends told me to post anyway#I LOVE COWBOYS#rdr2#red dead redemption 2#rdr2 fanart#fanart#john marston
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Thinking about DP x DC Jason Todd being a revenant again. Here's my scenario. Jason gets called that by some ghost. He's like "what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He's heard the term before but he doesn't know any actual lore. He googles it. He scrolls past the Leonardo DiCaprio bear movie. He opens the wiki. Sees the words "animated corpse" and gets a chill diwn his spine. He starts reading the first section.

He closes Wikipedia.
That night he has a nightmare that his family buried him, again, this time with precautions. He wakes up in his own grave, full of stones, too heavy to move, to scream.
#CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS#like reading this section in the context of jason is SO HORRIFYING#the idea of someone knowing it was possible for him to come back. to wake up down there. and wanting to keep him there#stay dead. we want you dead. you're too troublesome alive. you're meant to be down there.#so anyways. jason internalizing all this shit and feeling uncomfortable in his own body because he's thinking of it as a corpse#and of himself as haunting a place he doesn't belong#and then meeting danny and danny says 'wow you're a revenant aren't you! The dead so restless they can't bear to stay in their graves'#and he smiles. 'You're amazing. Your will is so strong'#and the Ghost King tells Jason 'You're alive but that doesn't mean you aren't one of mine. I will come for you'#and batman says 'we will keep you safe from that entity and his threats. you don't belong to him'#and jason says 'he didn't mean i was his possession. he said i was his responsibility. he said he would help me if i ever needed him'#and bruce sees the faraway look in his son's eyes and doesn't know what to say#okay I'm done#for now#dp x dc#dpxdc#revenant jason todd#danny phantom#dc#batfam#jason todd#my rambles#my writing
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all evenings close like this
#PEARL - AQUAMARINE#spent longer figuring out the reflection than actually painting the damn thing. yes it's still shit. no i don't care#this is all i could think of for the past like day or two#oh my gooodddd i love box soooo much#imagine being dead for years and years and years and years and the world puppets your corpse around and calls it a man#never seeing you for the woman you are. just a dead man. until you're alive again#imagine. fucking imagine#anyway i'm also a one fan and afterlife shit also makes me crazy. come see my thoughts#inanimate insanity#hfjone#ii box#ii 18 spoilers#hfjone spoilers
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Can't believe Nickelodeon ate with a decent reboot AND a new sexyman on top of that
#Anxiety's been going hard but at least the energy I find myself gathering is going to the right places <333#Anyway aged up tumblr sexyman Poof was on the 2024 bingo card chat..#digital art#fanart#fop a new wish#fairly oddparents#fairly oddparents a new wish#fairly oddparents fanart#fop peri#Art Fight is dead to me all efforts doing to FOP fanart now#I'm still a slow tho SHAKING MYSELF TO HURRY THE HELL UP#Two weeks fixation on him and only 2 and a half doodles wagh
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Imo the best ending to Supernatural would have been to just stop with them alive on a random hunt or them finding jobs and living the life they just wanted or whatever.
And then the story just fucking STOP, because Chuck is not here anymore, so they are no longer part of a story they are finally free. And we could still write and read fanfic about how they live after they won.
#they should have just STOP before fucking killing them all#that might have stopped the story with no possibility for a revival#so I'm not sure#but I would be fine not having any revival if the end was satisfying enough#it would still be better than what we had anyway#an open ending would have been better#because they would be ALIVE and FREE#they deserved to be happy#spn#supernatural#spn 15x20#Carry On#there's no carrying on when everyone is fucking dead#don't mind me#I'm still bitter about that ending#dean winchester#sam winchester#castiel#jack kline#eileen leahy#destiel#deancas#saileen#if you don't ship those no hate please#my random thoughts about spn
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Remember when I said I need to be in a very specific mood to draw kisses? well it finally happened
#payneland#edwin x charles#dead boy detectives#dbda#i don't think i'm over the doom patrol boys#so maybe expect a bit more of them#that being said they're not ready for more kissing than that#anyway kiss kiss fall in love or something#i had something else to say i think but i forgot#uuuh tell me which one is your favorite i guess
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Identity shenanigans are a hallmark of all superhero fanfictions and i will never get tired of writing them.
This is from chapter 19 of my fic Better Halves (and other such falsehoods) which is like 100k (so far) of Tim and Danny being idiots like this please go read it it's a labor of love.
just the painted bit below the cut :) if you want it

#my art#art#better halves (and other such falsehoods)#danny phantom#dp x dc#tim drake#dead tired ship#KNEE DEEP IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND YOURE EATING ME OUT IS IT CASUAL NOW#i will never be normal about them#if you noticed the quality drop in the last three panels no you didn't#I kept getting to tim's face. the *-*. you know. and I kept laughing so hard that i would not finish#but on account of the chapter being posted today I packed my ass up to a cafe#bought a large ice coffee#and worked for four hours straight to finish it#and here it stands before you#i'm posting this about 15 minutes before the chapter goes live so if you try and get the newest chapter before midnight mst im sorry#it will not be there#the three of you that will see this in that time frame#anyways#aster spreekt
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Slimecicle: Whoever said "yaoi is dead" dude, I think you need to put on your freakin'– your bi-focal lenses. Anything's possible.
💗💜💙
#Slimecicle#Charlie Slimecicle#July 22 2024#Dead Plate#People were being kinda weird about bi people in chat because a dude they wanted to ship with a guy said he had a GF#Which sucks. And isn't new because people being weird about bi folks happens no matter who's chat it is#So it was nice seeing Charlie shut it down in a funny way#:')#As a bi person I appreciated it#I don't personally come across a lot of bi-phobia (thankfully) so I'm always startled when I see it.#Like ''Oh. I forgot people are stupid sometimes.''#Anyways that's about as personal as I'll ever get in the tags on this blog lmao
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"We don't hang around a lot of iron. Burns us and forces us to be, like, solid for a few ticks. Vulnerable. Don't wanna advertise it, do we?"
- Charles Rowland | Dead Boy Detectives S1E1
#dead boy detectives#dbda#Charles Rowland#Edwin Payne#iron burns#gif set#I'm sure I'm not the first one to make an iron gifset but I couldn't find another one so I decided to make one anyway#hope that's okay#ghost rules
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to see you just right
word count: 5k... my freakin sweet spot apparently synopsis: Shooting practice reveals your less than stellar vision. Arthur determinedly hunts down some glasses for you and you realise what details you've been missing out on. mutual pining, friends to lovers (almost) set during horseshoe overlook ! this is my first rdr fic so... be nice <3



Times like now, squinting at the bottles in the distance, the question of why the gang still kept you around bugs at you like an incessant horsefly.
I mean, you knew why—you've been running with the Van Der Linde gang for a couple years now. If you hadn't already proved yourself as resourceful and sharp-minded, you would've been kicked to the curb quite some time ago.
But you certainly weren’t a hunter. Nor a shooter.
You weren't even very good at picking pockets.
What you had was keen ears; good for picking up leads and the hushed conversations of businessmen with deep pockets. Not to mention your adeptness at stitching up bullet wounds, better than anyone else at camp.
Yes, yes, you weren't useless by any means.
But still... that didn't mean you could shake the envy of others' skills. It didn't take away that simmering, uneasy feeling as you stared down the targets in the distance, helplessly blurred to you. The shot from your last bullet still rings out.
You can already tell it hasn't hit its mark.
Just hit the fucking target. You think to yourself scoldingly.
You're not sure why this is so much harder for you than just about anyone else in the gang. And as much as it isn't your job, you've grown determined to be able to handle yourself if trouble ever comes knocking.
You thought that with a gunslinger as fine as Arthur Morgan himself, you'd learn a thing or two — a foolish idea that's dissipating quickly before you.
Adjusting your clammy grip on the pistol cradled between both palms, you shift your stance and squint again, rolling your shoulders back.
Empty lungs. You pull back the hammer and line up your best shot, feeling the kick of the recoil.
The lack of shattering glass is answer enough, but even so you lower your extended arms an inch or so to see closer. Scrunching your eyes to try focus, you wince at what you can make out.
No bullet holes on any of the crates, all six bottles still standing.
You're beginning to sorely regret asking for shooting practice when it only seems like a surefire way to prove yourself a fool. And in front of Arthur no less.
Arthur who—well, you'd be lying if you said you weren't fond for.
Quick to boil, your frustration wells, an itch behind your eyes. You drop your arms, lowering your gaze to the ground with another sigh.
"How you do this every damn day is a miracle to me."
You force a half-hearted laugh into your words. It's better than letting him hear that wallowing, pitiful feeling you can feel rising up your throat.
"It's jus' lots 'n lots of practice," Arthur says gently, his voice somewhere behind you.
Christ knows his intense, watchful gaze isn't helping you either.
You can't help but feel it burning into your back every time you raise the pistol—and every time you fail miserably.
Your frustration rises again and you finally lift your head, turning back to the cowboy.
"I'm sorry, Arthur," You say sincerely. "I— this was a mistake." You begin to hold the pistol out in your outstretched hand, grip lax.
You don't get very far before he's stepping in closer, his hand reaching up to yours and pressing your fingers to close around the grip again.
"C'mon now," He rasps. "Yer not just gonna give up 'cos it's hard, are ya?"
Skin against skin is enough to draw your heart up your throat, rabbiting fast and all too revealing. You pointedly ignore the spike in your pulse and let him manoeuvre you, his hand moving up to nudge your shoulder. You face the targets.
Six bottles in the distance glint tauntingly beneath the afternoon sun, as if teasing you for your failure.
"Arthur," You sigh dejectedly.
It's kind of him to keep offering encouragement but you only need ten minutes of this to realise it's a severely lost cause. "It's not use, I'm awful—"
"Hush," Arthur cuts you off, voice gruff this time. "You ain't no such thing. Just—"
He hovers just behind you, the heat of his body blazing against your back. With a quiet hum, his fingertips square out your angled shoulders, fixing your stance. They trail down to minutely adjust the twist of your hips, pressing one further forward gently.
The sun seems to burn brighter suddenly. You fight to keep your face forward and pray Arthur can't heart the traitorous inhale you give at his touch.
"'Kay. Shoot again." He murmurs lowly, his hands retreating but staying close. "Lemme watch closer this time."
You're not brave enough to tell him that you're even less likely to hit the target with his close proximity.
Instead, you just follow his instruction, raising the pistol to the bottles once more. Slowing your breath as much as your racing heart will allow, you squint.
"Wait," Arthur's voice interrupts.
You falter, suddenly unsure. Moving out from behind you, his hand comes up to push the gun down, barrel facing the dirt.
Standing close, he tilts his head up, his eyes assessing you intently from beneath the brim of his hat. It's as though he's looking at a puzzle he can't quite figure out.
After a moment, his eyes cast out to the shooting range he's set up for you. You get a stolen glimpse of his chiselled jaw before he's stepping forward, broad shouldered, with one hand resting on his gun belt.
Turning to face you, he takes a few wide steps back, then halts, raising his hand.
"How many fingers?"
Brows raised, you will yourself not to scoff. "You bein’ serious?"
Arthur doesn't move, only his head tilting forward an inch, the brim of his hat dipping lower. He smiles wryly. "Humour me."
Dropping your arms, you let the gun swing idly to your side. With a shrug, you focus on his hand.
"Two."
Arthur nods. He turns and paces back til he's in line with the bottles this time. It's far enough from you that the details of him begin to blur out, but you can still see his figure just fine.
"And now?" He calls out, voice raised to reach you over the distance.
Your careless shrug from before is nowhere to be found. A sudden sheepishness crawls up within you as you quickly try to strain your gaze.
God, is he even holding up a hand at all?
You don't get a moment to guess before he's approaching you once more, his features getting sharper as he draws closer. You can see his smile, a rare sight. He seems to have solved his puzzle.
"What was that for?" You question curiously.
"It ain't yer aim, that's for damn sure," Arthur says, coming to a stop before you.
His blue eyes assess you once more, before he extends his hand out for the pistol at your side. You hand it over wordlessly, waiting for his explanation. A dragonfly swoops by you with a loud hum.
"It's yer eyes." He says, holstering the pistol without a glance.
You blink, confused at the implication. You're sure if there was something wrong with your eyes, you'd know about it at your grown age.
Your confusion must be clear on your face because Arthur continues, resting his hands on his gun belt casually.
He nods to you. "Not all bad. 'Betcha can see just fine up close. But in the distance, not so much."
"Oh," The word escapes in a soft breath.
It hadn't really been something you had considered—that your poor performance shooting was due to that blurriness surrounding the targets. That it was due to anything other than you being utter shit at shooting.
Turning your stare out to the bottles again, you blink and squint, as if to check. You realise he may just be talking truth.
"Lord, I think you might be right." You admit, a relieved laugh colouring your tone. The frustration you felt from earlier drains rapidly, taking with it your souring mood.
A different part of you deflates at the knowledge you'll never get better at shooting. Cursed vision. You wrinkle your nose in distaste, pushing down your bitterness.
Arthur gestures to the horses with one hand, lesson clearly over.
The pair of you begin to meander back towards your horses hitched in the treeline. Side by side, it doesn't escape you the nearness you're inclined to, drawn to him, a flower facing the sun.
The leather of his jacket brushes your bare arm. You think you must be suffering sunburn, considering how your skin seems to burn in response.
Eyes flashing in his direction, you think you see a hint of colour on Arthur’s face.
He’s tilts his head, his features covered by the brim of his hat, so you can't be sure. You chalk it up to a wishful imagination.
Always unknowable. Maybe it's his private nature that's part of what allures you to the man.
Pushing forward, you approach your mare, Dragon, with a gentle greeting. You're rewarded with the butting of her muzzle against your palm, a smile curling onto your lips instinctively.
“Y'know, chances are, you're not nearly as awful as ya think.” Arthur says, his tone softer than usual—perhaps sensing your blue mood.
Despite talking to you, he keeps his gaze steadfast on his own horse, Hypatia. He dotes on her with a loving pat, hands usually meant for violence, now gentle.
After a moment, he says. “I’ll see what I can do fer you at the general store.”
Pleasant surprise curls up in your stomach in a sharp bloom.
“Arthur,” You say with a smile, sounding a bit awed. He does look up at you this time, blue eyes bright from beneath the edge of his hat. “That’s very kind but, well, you needn’t do that—“
"I ain't makin' you any promises," He cuts your rambling response off. "I'll just have a look. That alright?"
Feeling your face glow warmly, you force yourself to meet his strong gaze. "Alright."
Then after a moment, you say, "I guess I'll allow it."
Arthur guffaws lightly at that. He pushes up on strong legs to mount Hypatia in one fluid motion, one he's done countless times before. You watch, pretending you aren't staring at the powerful flex of his thighs as he settles into the saddle.
Christ alive. It takes effort to avert your eyes, stepping up to sling yourself into your own saddle.
“If she allows it…” Arthur repeats, almost incredulously, his head tilted toward you. There’s a tug on his lips, like he’s holding back his smile, even as he shakes his head at you.
A laugh titters out of you and you nudge Dragon forward, if only so he can't see the grin on your lips.
And if you spend the ride to camp lingering on the feeling of his hands covering your own hands, adjusting the twist of your waist?
Well, that was your own damn business.
—
After your shooting lesson, Arthur leaves camp for four days.
Some bounty given to him by the sheriff in Valentine that he was tracking up into the mountains — at least that’s what he’d said as he bid you a polite goodbye, early in the morning light, the day after your lesson.
You’d murmured your drowsy goodbye over your coffee cup, eyes barely open — making Arthur snort quietly — and then watched intently, your sleepy gaze softened, as he disappeared between the trees on Hypatia.
Perhaps you’d been too spoiled with his company in these last couple weeks.
He hadn’t taken any longer jobs, always back at camp for the evening, with a tip of his hat to you. Always prepared to lend a helping hand or to escort you and the girls into Valentine. You'd almost call yourselves friends. The familiarity of his presence was something you'd gotten used to.
It was one of the good reasons you found yourself particular afflicted with him — Arthur Morgan was far kinder than he ever gave himself credit for.
And far nicer to look at than he seemed to think so too.
To say you’re a bit put off by not having your usual pretty-boy cowboy to provide somewhere nice to rest your eyes wouldn’t be a lie.
“Someone’s head in the clouds.”
The jeering words from Karen pair with a playful nudge to your shoulder.
Distracted, the dish in your hands slips and lands back in the water-filled basin with a splosh. Narrowing your eyes at Karen, you fish it out and resume your abandoned scrubbing.
“Ain’t sure what you’re talking ‘bout,” You hum, nonchalant as you can manage.
Liar. You’d definitely been casting your gaze towards the trail that leads into camp and slipped away into a daydream, sweet as the cowboy’s eyes you were imagining. Surely he wouldn't be away much longer, right?
“Mmhm,” Karen says, telling you exactly how much she believed you.
At her side, Mary-Beth smothers a giggle in her palm. Clearly your attempts at subtlety are wholly ineffective.
Despite your intent glances as you work your way through the remaining chores of the day, none prove to be fruitful. The sun lazes across the sky and sinks toward the horizon and even then, Arthur is absent.
Your lovesickness abates with a sigh. The outlaw could be gone for weeks at a time, you knew that. If it was a shorter trip, he'd be back already. Tonight, you depart from around the campfire earlier than usual, heading back to your shared tent with Mary-Beth.
It’s with an absentminded hum that you potter around, straightening out the space as the sunlight dwindles. You had worked hard today and it’s filled your bones with a weariness ready for sleep.
An oil lamp burns on the crate acting as your bedside table, casting a mellow, amber colour through the tent. The idle sounds of the wildlife of Horseshoe Overlook fill the background, mixing with the crackle of the campfire.
Maybe you should journal a bit, before bed. Eyes narrowed, you scan your cot for the little book you keep nearby—you had used it just last night.
Coming up blank, you huff and crouch to your knees to hunt for it. Countless times you’ve fallen asleep with it in your hand and found it gone in the morning. It worms its way down the edge of the tent with a mission to escape you, you swear.
Peering beneath your cot, the red leather of the book gleams back at you. You smile and reach out, having to duck a little further to reach it, giving a victorious little aha! when you close your fingers around it.
Shifting back, you sit on your heels, right as someone clears their throat behind you.
Spooked and not unlike a deer, you startle with a violent jump. Whipping around, pulse jumping, your panic recedes as you narrow your eyes at the cause of your panic.
“Christ, Arthur,” you seethe at him. You put a hand over your racing heart to calm it. “You damn near scared the mickey out of me.”
“My apologies, miss,” Arthur says, tipping his hat. He sounds sincere but even so, you catch the glimmer of amusement on his lips. “Weren’t my intention.”
He’s lingering at the entrance of your tent, not quite entering. His big hands rest of his gun belt, hovering somewhere between casual and proper.
How Arthur manages both is a mystery to you; every bit at home amongst the rough of tumble of camp, yet ever-so polite to you.
He treats you like a gentlemen treats a proper lady; though both of you are neither.
Pushing to your feet, you let your journal drop atop your cot. Then you regret it, wishing you had something to occupy your hands. The all too familiar buzz of nerves that come with being sweet on someone makes you prone to fidgeting.
You brush down your skirts just to do something. “And just what was your intention?”
Amusement abiding, a different expression skitters across Arthur's face. He raises one hand to scratch the back of his neck.
“Gotcha somethin',” He murmurs, dragging his hand forward, across his beard. Rather hastily, he stuffs his hand into his satchel.
He digs for a moment and then pulls his hand out, extending it out. Something shiny glints in the low light of the tent, resting in his big palm.
You step forward and squint for a moment, realising with a jolt of unexpected delight that it’s a pair of round spectacles.
An infectious smile tugs the corner of your lips up, your eyes brighter upon seeing the gift he’s brought you. Your hand reaches out, then halts in mid-air, glancing back up at him.
“May I?”
“‘Course. They’re for you.” Arthur grunts, feigning nonchalance even as he beckons you to take them from him.
Smile turning to a grin, you pluck them out his hand, stepping closer as you do. You turn them over in delicately, drinking in the details greedily. They’re finely made.
With an ebb of guilt, you realise they must’ve cost him a fortune. If he paid for them, that is.
“Took me all the way out past Emerald Ranch to find a fella who did them.”
Gaze snapping up, the ebb of guilt grows. He hadn’t just got them for you, he’d gone out of his way to find a spectacle maker specifically.
There’s a silver lining to the guilt — the feeling sprinkled through your chest like gunpowder, kicking up sparks. He certainly had to be keeping you in mind, to some capacity, to do such a thing for you.
The thought of being more than a passing thought in Arthur’s mind is enough to set the gunpowder alight. Your chest glows brightly like a firework.
“What happened to just having a nosy in the general store, hm?” You ask.
“Well, now,” Arthur begins, giving a hesitant cough as if it’ll cover the sincerity of his actions. He tilts his head down, the brim of his hat covering his eyes, as he always did when he felt too seen.
After a pause, he says lowly, “I know how much you wanted to shoot.”
“That’s... mighty kind of you, Mister Morgan.” You say, hoping your voice doesn’t betray the racing of your treacherous heart. “Though, I’d hate for you to go to all this trouble if they don’t even work right with my eyes.”
Holding the pair of spectacles up, you unfold the arms and peer through the lenses. They’re certainly magnifying something—Arthur looking further away in the one lens you peer through. It’s almost like a funhouse mirror. The smile on your face widens, cheeks nearly aching.
“That don’t matter,” Arthur says. He pats his satchel gently. “If those don’t work, I got three more pairs in here.”
“Three?” You lower the glasses, bewilderment colouring your voice.
“Where the devil did you get so many?”
“Turns out, folk rich enough to take the stagecoach can usually afford ‘em.” Arthur chuckles.
Somehow the image of Arthur out there, picking through the loot box, then demanding folk hand over their eyewear is enough to inspire a laugh out of you.
You stifle your laughter behind your hand, endeared even more when he opens his satchel to prove it, a shy smile on his lips.
Sure enough, he draws three more pairs out. Even the thickness of the glass even varies from pair to pair — god, who knew one could be so thoughtful whilst robbing?
“You know, that might be the most sweet thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
The words come out softer than intended, your affections surely obvious.
You don’t risk a glance up at Arthur’s face, too fearful your feelings are written over your own, plain to see. In doing so, you miss the dusting of pink across his own cheeks.
Arthur clears his throat, sending a single prayer for strength to a god who’s surely abandoned him. The way you sound, he’d almost believe you’re sweet on him.
“Cmon, then,” He says, adding a touch more gruff to his voice. “Better try them on after all the damn time I spent hunting them down.”
You roll your eyes at his faux annoyance. There’s no real heat to his words.
Tilting your face down, you bring the pair up to tuck over your ears hesitantly. The world around you shifts as the lenses settle. Your sight is sufficiently more blurry than it was a second ago.
“Woah.” You murmur, looking up just to check.
Arthur’s figure swims before you, entirely out of focus. You blink, unbeknownst of the way the glasses magnify your eyes to a comically large size. It makes Arthur's smile grow, teeth peeking out, knowing for sure you can’t see for shit.
“Not those.” He says decidedly and when you slide them off, he’s already holding out the second pair, arms unfolded this time.
You mutter a quiet thank-you, feeling warmth creep your neck at the simple, polite motion.
This pair, when you slide them on, has a rather different effect. Instead of the blurriness alike to being underwater, the entire world sharpens.
You inhale at the difference. The sounds of the campfires and people around you dims and you blink rapidly, eyes jumping from detail to detail. There's something new to notice in every corner.
Head dipped down, you can pick out the individual blades of grass underfoot. The stitching on the hem your dress, the same as on the sleeves, you can see properly now. As in, see the stitches.
You swish you dress, watching, entranced.
Arthur’s comment during shooting practice may have been wrong —saying there was nothing wrong with your vision up close — because suddenly everything seems so much more. Maybe you’ve been blinder than you think.
Swinging your head round, you survey the inside of your tent with a renewed interest.
The fraying hole in your blanket, scribbled words in your opened journal, the splinters in your wooden crate bedside table — things you normally need to see up close, clearer than ever.
“I take it those ones are workin’ just fine.” Arthur says amusedly, having watched your wide-eyed and wandering gaze.
At the sound of his raspy voice, your head jerks up — and then your heart lurches forward with a hiccup, nearly tripping over itself.
Arthur is… He’s… Holy heaven, has he always been that handsome?
A dozen new details spring out at you, little secrets you've been missing. You can see the crook in his nose from being broken too many times. A scar you’ve never noticed on the edge of his chin, given away by the small patch in his beard.
He has freckles, dozens of little ones, from all his time spent under the baking sun. They gather at the edges of his eyes, blending into the crows feet. You can trace the cupid's bow of his lips.
It occurs to you that you should totally, definitely say something. You’ve been silent too long, just taking in the lines of his face, awed, but your throat has dried up.
Lord above, he’s pretty.
How are you expected to continue your day with the knowledge that Arthur Morgan might be the prettiest man you’ve ever laid eyes on?
Lord, if you’d been fond of him before, you’re surely smitten with him now.
Arthur shifts uncomfortably under the attention, taking your prolonged silence for the worst. His already jittered nerves fry under your stare and he ducks his head to hide himself from you.
“Probably can see what an ugly bastard I am, now you can see proper.” He huffs offhandedly, scratching at his beard and keeping his gaze low.
It hadn’t occurred to him, this downside of fetching this gift for you. You’ll see him clearly now — flaws and all.
“What?”
You sound a mixture of bewildered and crestfallen and it draws Arthur’s gaze up.
Your eyebrows have knit together in the middle and you take another step, bringing you closer together still.
Arthur forces himself to keep breathing, even as his nerves flutter. It’s an awful lot like one of Mary-Beth’s books, where she talks about romantics getting butterflies.
It feels more like a hive of bumblebees, Arthur thinks, trying to shove the feeling down. ‘Sides, the two of you weren’t romantics. You didn’t see him that way.
“Not in the slightest.” You say, eyes never leaving his face.
Arthur isn’t sure what your expression means but even as the attention makes him shift, something within him more selfish preens. Having your undivided attention when he’s surely unworthy of it has him standing a little taller, chest puffing out more.
“Say, has anyone ever told you that you have…” Your voice trails off, your words soft as the dawn’s first rays of light. Arthur forces himself to meet your eye again. “A little bit of green in your eyes?”
This time, you don’t miss the flush of colour that creeps up Arthur’s neck.
He clears his throat, breaking your stare so he can rub the back of his neck; a futile attempt to cover his nervousness.
How in the hell else is he supposed to react to you all but waxing poetic about his eyes? You, enigmatic and more beautiful than a mayflower in the spring?
He’d wanted your attention, getting you the glasses, but now he has it, he’s melting beneath it like butter in the sun. He's a grown man for heaven's sake. How is it that you can make him nervous like nothing before?
“No, er, can’t say they have.” He says, stealing a glimpse back at you.
God, Arthur was a fool. You look even more beautiful in the spectacles. He’ll surely embarrass himself with his besotted stare, unable to curb his fondness for you.
There’s something new in your expression too. Your smile turned more feline, as if you’ve clued in to something he hasn’t.
His hands fall to clutch his gun belt, prepared to retreat and perhaps spend his evening drowning himself in the river to escape the mortification of feelings. He's giving himself away — and if he isn't, the heat colouring his cheeks sure is.
“Right, well,” He nods, clearing his throat once more. “If they workin’ jus’ fine, I’ll leave ya be.”
“Will you let me thank you first?” You ask tentatively.
Arthur doesn’t know what that means but he nods nonetheless. He tries to keep himself from fidgeting, his hands flexing on his belt all the while. Blue eyes dart from you, to the ground, then back to you.
You only need another half-step to get close enough to do what you wish. Pressing up onto your toes to reach, you bestow a gentle kiss onto Arthur's cheek, just above the scruff.
It takes a great deal of courage to keep your eyes steady, heart in your throat, as you sink back down onto flat feet. You don't relent your closeness.
For one long moment, you drink in the politely stunned expression on his face. This close, you can smell the scent of cigarettes and woodsmoke on his clothes. It makes your head spin. Makes your heart tremble. Your lips still sear from the kiss.
Though your heart threatens to bruise your ribs with how hard its beating in your chest, you refuse to regret your boldness.
Besides, as Arthur seems to grapple with what's just happened, his smile and blush return in equal measure.
"...Why'd you think she left dinner so early? She's probably—oh!"
Mary-Beth's voice cuts through the charged air.
Snapped from your tender reverie, you tear your eyes from Arthur and take a timid step back. You're well aware it's too late and both Mary-Beth and Tilly had seen the nearness you had been sharing with Arthur. You'll be hounded about it tonight, no doubt.
"Sorry, didn't realise we were interrupting." Tilly finds her voice before Mary-Beth does, the latter spluttering her agreements. Before they can retreat, Arthur cuts in.
"Weren't—" His voice comes out rougher than usual and he clears his throat, hat tipped down. "—interrupting nothin'. Don't worry bout it, I was just leavin'."
He takes a few steps back and then pauses, heaving a heavy breath as if he was gathering his strength. Still lingering just beyond the entrance of your tent, you wait with baited breath.
Arthur's eyes dance over to the other girls. If you could be bold, hell, so could he. He finds your gaze.
"Shootin' tomorrow? You 'n' me?" He asks, voice low.
If you didn't know him so well, you might miss the slight apprehension in his tone. As if you'd say no.
You have to sink your teeth into your bottom lip to try contain you smile. Your fervent nod betrays your excitement anyway.
Arthur smiles then, more brazenly than you've seen before, before he bids you a goodnight with a final tip of his hat.
—
The crates where targets once stood are now gloriously empty, the six shattered glass bottles banished to a life in the dirt.
You stand, pistol still smoking in your grip, and grin triumphantly. The sun glints off the delicate frames of your new spectacles. Your vision is clear and your aim is true.
Hovering just behind you, as he had some days ago, Arthur hums his contentment. "'Atta girl."
You turn, looking over your shoulder at him, and in an instant, your smile in reflected back. More reserved than your own, but entirely for you. Arthur nudges you to look forward with a gentle hand, gesturing to something out in the field.
"See if you can hit just the edge of the crate next. We might make a gunslinger of you yet."
You huff, leaning back an inch to feel more of his warmth. Arthur smiles to himself, well aware of your tactics.
His hands drop to your hips, twisting them in a minute adjustment they don't need, just to hear the slight stagger in your breath.
"Why, Mister Morgan," Your voice is threaded with humour, exactly the colour of sunlight. "I'd nearly think you're just making excuses to put your hands on me."
With a low hum, Arthur lets his hands drag up an inch to rest on your waist. Your skin is warm, as is your smile. He can pretend the hot buzz of the day threatens make his knees buckle, though he knows it's entirely your effect.
"Maybe. That a crime?"
"Even if it were," You say, gaze slicing back to meet his. The taunt of a smile on your pretty mouth rivals all the beauty Arthur's ever seen. "Thank heavens you're an outlaw."
—
i get the privilege of bugging @illyrianbitch @wildfloweroutlaw with this new fic <3 heheh thanks for the hype that lead to this actually getting finished n posted !!
#writing a new character is like AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH#anyways. hi rdr community :D i'm new here!!#prepared to write some yearning for this cowboy <3#arthur morgan#arthur morgan rdr2#arthur morgan x reader#arthur morgan x you#arthur morgan x female reader#red dead redemption 2#rdr#rdr2#red dead#red dead fandom#red dead redemption imagine#arthur morgan imagine#sloane writes arthur#YIPPE I LOVE A NEW TAG!
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