#best indian whiskey

[whiskylovers]

[indri-whisky]

Single malt whisky in India

Single malt whisky in India is celebrated for its rich flavors and artisanal craftsmanship. Made from malted barley and distilled at a single location, these whiskies offer unique taste profiles influenced by the country’s diverse climate and aging conditions. Perfect for enthusiasts seeking quality and authenticity, Indian single malts are becoming a favorite in the premium whisky market.

[vkmliquor]

Whisky Beginners, Don’t Fear – Here’s How to Pick the Best Indian Whisky to Start

Getting into the world of whisky can be both exciting and daunting, especially if you’re unsure where to begin. With so many options on the market, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But don’t worry, the best Indian whisky offers a fantastic entry point for newcomers, and one brand, in particular, stands out: DOT Whisky. Renowned for its unique flavors and quality, DOT Whisky is the perfect companion for those looking to explore the world of whisky without the intimidation factor.

[piccadilyindia-blog]

Best Indian Whisky/Whiskey

India is fast becoming a global hub for exceptional whisky, Piccadily offering a range of Best Indian Whisky/Whiskey options that rival the best in the world. Among the finest Indian whiskies, you'll find a mix of rich heritage, modern techniques, and locally sourced ingredients, creating unique and complex flavor profiles. These whiskies are known for their smoothness, full-bodied character, and distinct notes of spices, vanilla, dried fruits, and oak. A standout among Indian whiskies is the growing trend of single malts, which are celebrated for their craftsmanship and attention to detail. These whiskies are often matured in diverse casks, such as ex-bourbon and sherry casks, giving them depth and complexity. Produced in state-of-the-art distilleries, Indian whisky reflects both tradition and innovation. For whisky enthusiasts looking to explore premium options, Indian whiskies offer an unforgettable experience, showcasing the country's expertise and passion in crafting world-class spirits.

[everydaymandalei]

"what do you want to do for your birthday?"

"PICKLEPALOOZA AT INDIAN LADDER FARMS"

[annaphoenix1994]

Horseshoe Overlook - A Strange Kindness

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

Tensions flared throughout the whole night as Arthur and Hosea did everything they could to keep Minnie and Micah from crossing paths in camp without making things obvious to Dutch, who had been showing signs of vulnerability to Micah as he had been seen constantly at Dutch's tent, talking to him about his "ideas" and "plans." Hosea did not like seeing tensions flare in camp, as it looked bad in front of young Jack, but soon let it go as he knew the men would regularly play-fight or sometimes brawl in camp after an argument or a suspicious game of cards after they had whiskey in their system. Arthur scoffed and rolled his eyes as he witnessed Micah scurrying to Dutch's tent, preferably trying to "tattle-tale" or convince Dutch that Minnie would be leading the law towards them.

Minnie had made her way over to Javier, who had been softly strumming on his guitar as he sat Indian-style on the dirt, quietly humming a few words that sounded almost like a mumble as she thought it looked like he was trying to create a song. "Wanna sing tonight, Javier?" She asked, taking note of his mannerisms.

He nodded, "Yeah. I have a couple of songs I wanna sing, but just like you said about that one you wrote, I feel too nervous to sing it! Sounds better in my head!" He chuckled.

She sat close to him on a nearby stump, crossing her right leg over her left knee, ignoring the sharp soreness of her stitched wound. "You know that ain't true." She sighed.

"You think so? I never really sung any actual songs unless it was the same campfire tune the others sing every time they get drunk." He chuckled, finding comfort with a fellow musician to express his feelings to.

"Absolutely. Like I said before: music is more than just a way to express emotions. It's an escape, really. What song did you write?"

"I've written quite a few..." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Pick one that you think's best." She smiled, watching his hand loosely strum the guitar lazily as she could tell he was building up the courage to do so. For his sake, he was glad the rest of the gang wasn't paying attention to him as they were used to hearing him play.

But not sing.

"I got one I think you'll like!" He said. "When we went east so long ago... Years ago, I met this younger fella out of the mountains of Kentucky. He talked about how his father was a coal miner and we talked about how he grew up and what he learned. It's odd to say I found inspiration to write a song about it?" He asked, questioning whether or not he should be judged for writing a song about someone else or their experiences.

"My daddy was a coal miner, too," Minnie replied. "When I was a little girl, he worked in the coal mines in Annesburg and we lived in a small cabin in Butcher Hollow, but it's known now as Butcher's Creek," She explained. "I wrote a song about my daddy years back. There's nothing wrong with expressing emotions or thoughts through a song, Javier." She said.

He nodded, "Y-You're right. I've been thinkin' about it a lot lately..."

"Then that means you should sing it!" She giggled. "Tell ya what - you sing your song and I'll sing mine. Fair?"

He nodded as he adjusted his strings, "Fair. It's called "Nose to the Grindstone."

She smiled at him in encouragement, eager to hear the song for the first time, wondering why Javier never took a committed liking to pursue a career in music, although she assumed that he was afraid of being judged for his nationality as times were still bad for racism.

Her negative thought was erased by Javier's strumming, which was rustic and loud and full of emotion, as well as his voice, which sounded raspy for the cool night on the Overlook.

Daddy worked like a mule mining Pike County coal He fucked up his back and couldn't work anymore He said "One of these days you'll get out of these hills" Keep your nose on the grindstone and out of the pills

See, the ways of this world just bring you to tears Keep the Lord in your heart, you'll have nothing to fear Live the best that you can and don't lie and don't steal Keep your nose on the grindstone and out of the pills

Well daddy I've been trying, I just can't catch a break There's too much in this world, I can't seem to shake But I remember your words, Lord, they bring me the chills Keep your nose on the grindstone and out of the pills

Keep in mind that a man's just as good as his word It takes twice as long to build bridges you've burned And there is hurt you can cause, time alone cannot heal Keep your nose on the grindstone and out of the pills

Well, daddy, I've been trying, I just can't catch a break There's too much in this world, I can't seem to shake But I remember your words, Lord, they bring me the chills Keep your nose on the grindstone and out of the pills Keep your nose on the grindstone

"Wow..." Minnie complimented, almost breathless. "That was beautiful!"

"Thank you...Been too nervous to sing it 'round here. The boys'll pick on me." He chuckled.

"Fuck 'em! They're just mad that they have no talent that doesn't generate interest!" She replied.

"I guess you're right," He nodded. "Your turn! Don't think you're gonna get out of it!" He teased, handing her the guitar.

"Okay now, give me a minute!" She chuckled. "Chill!"

It wasn't long before they both noticed that they were joined around the fire by Charles, Uncle, and Sean, all nursing a bottle of beer as their curious minds got the best of them.

"You best not be comin' over here to try to give us singing lessons!" Javier warned, pointing at Sean.

Sean finished his gulp of beer as he removed the bottle from his lips, raising his palms in surrender, "Hey! I said not a thing! I just wanted to hear ye sing for a bit!" He defended.

"Alright then." Javier replied, looking over at Minnie, who had just got done tuning the guitar to her need. "This is a song a wrote a while back after me and my parents moved down to New Hanover a few years back. It's called "Coal Miner's Daughter." She said as she made a few practice strums before finding the comfort of starting the song.

Well, I was borned a coal miner's daughter In a cabin, on a hill in Butcher Holler We were poor but we had love That's the one thing that daddy made sure of He shoveled coal to make a poor man's dollar

My daddy worked all night in the Van Lear coal mines All day long in the field a hoin' corn Mommy rocked the babies at night And read the Bible by the coal oil light And ever' thing would start all over come break of morn

Daddy loved and raised eight kids on a miner's pay Mommy scrubbed our clothes on a washboard ever' day Why I've seen her fingers bleed To complain, there was no need She'd smile in mommy's understanding way

In the summertime, we didn't have shoes to wear But in the wintertime, we'd all get a brand new pair From a mail-order catalog Money made from selling a hog Daddy always managed to get the money somewhere

Yeah, I'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter I remember well, the well where I drew water The work we done was hard At night we'd sleep 'cause we were tired I never thought of ever leaving Butcher Holler

Well a lot of things have changed since a way back then And it's so good to be back home again Not much left but the floor, nothing lives here anymore Except the memory of a coal miner's daughter

"Miss Barlow, why aren't you a singer?" Javier questioned after the small round of applause from Sean, Charles, and Uncle.

She shrugged, "I don't know. I never thought of it honestly... Singing made my daddy happy after my momma died and that's all I cared about." She explained.

Charles nodded, "Hearing you and Javier sing makes us happy, Miss Barlow. It makes things different around here." He complimented.

"Why thank you." She smiled, hiding a blush as she was never the one to take a compliment.

───※ ·❆· ※───

"So... We keep headin' east. Is that the plan?" Arthur and Minnie heard an angry Hosea demand to Dutch in his tent.

Arthur sighed and looked over to her as their morning coffee had been interrupted, "I better go see what's goin' on before the old man rips Dutch's head off."

She giggled, "That might do Dutch some good... He has some crazy "plans" it seems like."

"That you're right," Arthur grumbled. "I'll see you later, darlin'." He smirked, watching her blush as he dismissed himself from her presence, making his way to the argument to intervene.

"For now." He heard Dutch reply.

"And when do we stop, when we reach Paris?" Hosea questioned, fuming.

"Oh, that'd be nice. Join the Commune? We stop when we find someplace sensible, shake them that's following us, and lie low." Dutch explained.

"This is lying low? We've turned into a bunch of killers, I mean it. We ain't even got the delusion of being anything but a bunch of killers."

Dutch pursed his lips as he smacked his knee, "We are just trying to survive, Hosea! We don't have a choice!"

"So..." Arthur intervened. "We're movin'?"

"Yeah," Dutch nodded, irritated that he couldn't just end the life lesson from Hosea and move on to forget about it. "This'll all end soon!"

"Damn right it will!" Hosea hissed as he stood to his feet, pacing briefly before leaving Dutch's tent completely.

"Constipated as usual," Dutch snarked, opening back up his book, shaking his head. "Micah told me of a place we can lie low," He explained, opening up his book that had a folded map inside it, opening it, and placing his finger on the destination in question. "Look here: Dewberry Creek he said."

"Okay." Arthur sighed, knowing a favor or errand was about to come for him.

"Maybe you and Charles can go take a look, clear off anyone you can find before the whole lot of us move in looking so conspicuous." He suggested.

"And how we gonna do that?" Arthur questioned, shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know, start dancing?" He replied sarcastically. "Or maybe ask your new sweetheart what she thinks, maybe you won't throw such a fuss when I ask you to do something!" He added, clearly jealous of the fear of competition of leadership.

Arthur scoffed, "Looks like I've turned into the goddamn errand boy." He grumbled as he turned on his heel to walk off.

"You have turned into my son," Dutch said, standing up and walking after him, catching his attention. "You worry because I worry! We are just the same!"

Arthur shook his head in aggravation as he looked for his riding partner for the day, seeing that he had been sharpening his throwing knives as well as his hunting knife at the small fire just outside of the camp where whoever was on guard duty would be stationed. "Charles, come with me. We got work to do." He sighed.

Charles looked up as he paused his task, "Now where have I heard that before?" He chuckled as he mounted Taima, following Arthur out of camp at a trot, soon catching up to him. "So where are we going?" Charles asked.

"Find a new spot to camp. We're packing up and moving on." Arthur replied, still irritated from earlier.

"Again?" Charles asked, surprised.

"We have to. And fast. We'd already pushed our luck too far before we made that mess in Valentine,"

"Ah, that didn't sound good." Charles recalled, remembering seeing John and Dutch bring back an injured Strauss while Arthur brought back an injured Minnie a couple of hours later.

Arthur sighed, "Killed a lot of law. Killed a lot of Cornwall's men. They must know where we are by now."

"So... We're heading south?" He questioned.

"Yeah, area called Dewberry Creek," Arthur replied. "Dutch wants us to give it a look. Make sure it's clear and a good place to lie low for a while."

"I've only known him a few months, but... The way he talks, I never thought I'd see him wanting to head south." Charles commented.

"Right... And I know by now, there ain't now lying low."

"There's too many of us for that."

"And, there ain't no way Dutch is gonna just hide away in a cave somewhere. Goes against everything he stands for. That'd be admitting we're nothing more than low-down criminals."

"Which... We are."

"You don't have to tell me."

"So where does it end?"

"Where does what end?"

"The moving, the running..."

"Dutch don't see it as running."

"Call it what you want."

"I don't know. Before put enough time and distance between you and the problem, eventually, it went away. This is a big country. But now... With these Pinkertons-" Arthur explained, now seeing the suspected destination close ahead. "Wait a second. I think that must be it up ahead. The old dried-up creek bed."

"Seems very open." Charles commented, doubtful of the new location.

"Yeah, it does," Arthur agreed. "Ain't sure it'd be the best in the rain, neither," He sighed, upset that they may be having to go back to the Overlook empty-handed to give the bad news to Dutch that the recommended campsite was no good. "Well, let's take a look around anyway, maybe we can find something better."

They trotted their horses around the dried-up creek bed for a few minutes, seeing that there would be no sign of comfortable living there, especially if it were to come to a massive storm or if they were to be ambushed by either Pinkertons or a rival gang. Soon, they were attracted to the pair of turkey vultures making variances of noises, indicating a brawl as they were fighting for food.

A body.

After they got closer, they dismounted and investigated, seeing that he was a man who had been deceased for a few days, possibly over a week. "He's been shot. Looks like trouble got here before us." Arthur mentioned.

Charles hummed in response as he looked around, seeing that just ahead, in between a small batch of trees in the ravine-like structure that led to the creekbed was a camp. "There's a camp up ahead..."

Arthur nodded, "Sure, let's get ready for business," He said as he pulled his repeater from Dahlia's scabbard, loading a bullet into the chamber just in case it was a trap. The men walked slowly towards the camp, seeing that it had been abandoned for a couple of days, seeing that the main campfire still had warm ashes and was releasing a small amount of smoke. "Looks empty." He commented.

"Let's have a look around and make sure."

Arthur nodded as he briefly searched each tent, sticking his head in to look for a person who had been left behind. After seeing nothing, he continued to look around until he approached an abandoned wagon with crates stacked up against it, concealing the undercarriage. "That looks suspicious..." He whispered to himself as he slowly grabbed a smaller crate that was stacked on the top, soon being greeted with the barrel of a shotgun by a small, blonde-headed woman with two children cowered behind her. She reminded him of a mother bear with her cubs, which he couldn't blame her. She looked scared and hopeless and in need of help.

"It's okay," Charles said as he and Arthur held up their hands to surrender themselves, knowing that a woman of her size wouldn't do any harm to them. "It's okay," He repeated, putting away his sewed-off shotgun. "You can come outta there... You okay? We don't mean you no harm."

The woman panted as she was still scared, resting her finger on the trigger of the shotgun as she slowly came out from under the wagon, her eyes darting in each direction in fear of more men coming with the pair she had her eyes on.

"He said a-are you okay?" Arthur said, keeping his hands up as he watched her two young children follow her, clutching onto her dress as they were selfish for protection.

She breathed, "Sprechen sie Deutsch? German?"

Arthur briefly looked at Charles, hoping that he knew some of the foreign language, wishing for the first time that he had Strauss accompanying him. "No... Now go on, get out of here. Go, we need the land. Go... Get the hell outta here." Arthur said, sounding harsher than he intended.

"They took our father!" The young girl behind her mother blurted.

"Who did?" Charles asked.

"M-men. Last night."

"Where? Where did they take him?"

Arthur sighed as he turned to Charles, his aggravation coming back to him, feeling like a teenager who had been asked of another chore before going out to do activities, "Ain't no business of ours. I don't even speak their language."

Charles pursed his lips and pointed his index finger in Arthur's face, "You ain't as tough and dense as all that," He hissed. "Come on, Arthur."

He threw up his hands in frustration, wanting the day to end already by finding a place to camp, not rescuing someone. He mumbled a few curse words to himself as he mounted Dahlia after whistling for her, quickly catching up to Charles as he didn't wait.

"What's going on with you?" Charles asked.

"What you mean?"

"You were just going to send that woman and her children on their way?"

"We're wanted men. We got Pinkertons breathing down our necks. We should be moving camp, not running off on some wild goose chase!"

"If it were Minnie, you would have dropped everything to help her." Charles blurted.

Arthur sighed, "She's different."

"Not really. If that would've been her back there, you wouldn't have even wasted a minute of not helping her get to safety. Everyone sees it and you know it. You can't hide love."

"You don't know what you're talkin' about." He grumbled.

"Come on, Arthur! That's not how you are." Charles corrected him.

"Well, maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."

Charles shook his head, ignoring his friend's negative attitude as he continued to study the trail for fresh tracks, seeing them continue towards the lake after a mile out from the stranded family. "So... What happened with those Pinkertons, anyway? When you were fishing with Jack." He asked as they made their way to the bank.

"Said they were onto us. Offered me freedom if I turned Dutch in."

Charles scoffed, "They picked the wrong man there."

"Then that one agent knew Minnie from a while back. They used to work together. When they were leaving he said somethin' about wishin' God would damn her soul and she pulled a gun on him and didn't think twice. If Jack weren't there, we would've killed them, but we both had to think it through because we didn't want Jack to witness something like that," He sighed. "We should've moved right then if you ask me."

"Continues along the shore here!" Charles interrupted as he suddenly found the trail again, getting Arthur's attention before he drifted off too far out of earshot. "I'm sorry, what were you sayin'?"

"Bastards told me they'd killed Mac. Said it right in front of Jack!"

"That kid... It's gonna be tough for him." Charles sighed.

"Yeah... But he has more folk looking out for him than most of the rest of us had growing up." He explained as their horses trudged their way to the soft ground of the bank for about a half a mile before taking a sharp left up a slight embankment into a heavily wooded area. Picking up the tracks again, they followed a trail to a clear opening, which had a clear three-hundred and sixty-degree view of the whole area as well as a direct water source.

"There's a camp up ahead!" Charles warned. "Seems deserted... Let's take a look..."

"Where is this guy?" Arthur asked as he dismounted Dahlia, sending her off to be out of the way just in case there were any surprises, seeing that Taima was following her.

"I don't know... But you know something? This is a better camp spot than back there. Much easier to defend!" Charles added.

"Maybe..." Arthur replied as he noticed a man who had been hogtied just out of their view. He knew that it was the man they were looking for as just his muffled pleas through the handkerchief stuffed in his mouth sounded foreign. "This looks like our feller, Charles!"

"Cut him free and let's get outta here. I have a bad feeling about this..."

Arthur nodded as he took out his knife, cutting the handkerchief from the man's head, suddenly confused at his babbling language, "Vorsicht! Vorsicht! Es ist eine Falle! Vorsicht!" He yelled. Arthur's confused expression for what ever just came out of that man's mouth was interrupted by raging gunfire. "Take cover!" He yelled to Charles.

"I see three coming this way!" Charles announced.

───※ ·❆· ※───

"Well, that's dealt with," Charles breathed as the fight ended soon as there were less than fifteen attackers, which looked like a gang from around the area. "You get him untied and I'll see what they left behind for us."

Arthur nodded as he cut the man free, ignoring the odd language as he couldn't generate a response. He helped him to his feet, watching him rub his raw wrists, a slight memory of what Minnie did the day they met. "Danke, mein Freund, danke."

"Yeah, okay, you wait there a second," Arthur said. "Charles, go find Dutch, get the caravan to divert here. This spot should work for us."

"I agree. See you around." Charles obliged.

"Come on, Mister. I'll take you back to your family."

───※ ·❆· ※───

"There they are." Arthur told the German.

"Oh, Gott sei Dank!" He said with glee, dismounting Arthur's horse before he could stop. "Schatz!"

"Andreas?" The woman cried, running into his arms, her children close behind. "Ich dachte, du wärst tot!" She cried, clutching his coat.

"Das wäre ich fast!" He replied. "Meine Lieben, meine kostbaren Lieben. Wunderbar!" He smiled, greeting his children.

"Du bist ein toller Mann!" The mother said, wiping away her happy tears of reunion. "Ein toller Mann! Wir sind gesegnet, dich getroffen zu haben!"

"Thanks," Arthur nodded, desperately trying to understand their mannerisms to decipher a translation. "Go on now, get outta here. This place ain't safe," He said, followed by an awkward pause. "Get out of here! Vamos! Vamos!"

"Ich habe kurz etwas für dich," The man said, reaching under the bench seat of the wagon. "Danke schone," He said as he handed Arthur a solid gold bar. "Thank you," He translated for the confused cowboy. "Vielen Dank. Von ganzem Herzen."

"Guess it was a pleasure." Arthur said, dumbfounded as he watched the man climb on the wagon, taking the reins after giving his wife a loving kiss.

───※ ·❆· ※───

Arthur's head continued to ache as he was still trying to process the odd words that the family had been saying, wondering if they were under some kind of spell or disease, even though he knew better. He sketched in his journal at the new campsite as he waited for the others to arrive, sketching a photo of Minnie playing the guitar around the fire as listening to her sing would take him away from the crazy world that went on in his head.

He closed his journal after hearing the caravan coming through the brush, hoping it was the caravan at least. "Hello, Arthur!" Dutch announced as he was joined by Charles on the first wagon.

"Dutch." Arthur replied, striking a match on the bottom of his boot, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Miss Grimshaw, Mister Pearson, put everyone to work!" Dutch directed before turning around to face Arthur. "Well, I don't know where the hell we are, but we are going to make the best of it." 

Arthur nodded, "Sure," He replied, looking around. "Where's Minnie?"

"I sent her and Hosea into the nearest town to sniff around and turn a couple of rocks to see what they could stir up." Dutch replied.

"If you're wantin' them to stir up somethin', they definitely will," He chuckled. "A master conman and a former agent who can get a lie out of the devil - what more could go wrong?" He pictured the pair together as they could make it look easy when it came to following up on a lead or getting into a situation that could get information. They were perfect for it.

Dutch glared at him as he held his cigar between his lips, "Nothing will go wrong, son. They know what they're doing." He assured him.

[velvetsands]

2024: milestone after milestone

living with my partner after two years long distance was such a nice reward, and confirmed that everything was right

realised my dream of going to the australian open

and going to attica(!!) and having a kangaroo meat pie

before coming back to the table and getting engaged(!!!!!!)

unfortunately we wanted to elope but family had other ideas

leading us to plan our wedding in just three weeks

it was such a great day but yeah, not what a little girl dreams of

anyway!

turned 30 on the 2/2 - glamped/biked around riesling country in adelaide which was goooorgeous

i was conferred my phd on the 22/2 which was cool

recieved dean's commendation for outstanding theses

submitted our manuscript for publication after so much tweaking

married on the 3/3

so yeah it was pretty full-on time tbh

we packed up our entire home, facebook marketplace was our best friend

my husband flew to saudi two weeks later, sending us back into the trenches of long-distance with a new challenge of time zones

i started my long goodbye to alcohol on a trip with friends to kangaroo island - lots of wine, laughter, and swimming with dolphins!

packed up my suitcase, ready to live out of it for the next three months and moved back into my childhood room in brisbane

spent easter with my sister, our grandparents and their siblings which was so lovely

went to san diego for a conference and for some reason, we were invited to the first class bar area on the plane (i can only assume an attendant heard my colleague and i talking about our cancer research which was very unexpected and nice)

flew to sydney for two weeks to complete requested experiments from reviewers and said goodbyes to all my friends

and finally received my saudi visa after much faffing around

my first business class experience to saudi was the qatar qsuite and it was heaven 40k feet above earth

all our stuff from adelaide arrived a few days after me, i set up the entire house

the compound is amazing, so much green space and although it hit 46C in summer, the lack of humidity makes it bearable

lack of alcohol was hard at first but then you just don't seem to think about it? there are tough days where you wish you had a whiskey sure but you get through it

worked on the paper revisions back and forth for months on end

we went to paris and bordeaux just before the olympics and stayed in chateaus and drank beautiful wine and did lots of fine dining

the saudi way of life is very much "inshallah", it's not very conducive to a western way of working which has been a steep learning curve

being here finally gave me the TIME to plan, order and cook whatever my heart desired instead of feeling like a total chore and hindrance during my phd

we went to turkey and bought rugs, drank, explored the landmarks, and went back to my hammam that i dreamt about re-visiting since 2018

saudi racing is fun but as no drinking or gambling, you just sort of sit around and gasbag with friends the entire time hahaha

the women like to engage with me and ask lots of question and the kids like to show off their english and be super cheeky with me!

in general, saudi's are the kindest people and feel the need to impress! same with the pakistani and indian expats!

there is such a sense of non-urgency yet things happen at the last minute - it's truly a wonder

i don't dress much differently to australia which made me realise i am quite modest (and that's fine). i try not to wear an abaya to show expat women that you can still be #stylish

i recieved lots of compliments from saudi women on my outfits which makes me feel FANTASTIC

i did however have to buy new racewear for here ofc which is fine

we went back to paris for racing of the arc at longchamp and explored a bit more, caught up with friends, lots of good food and museums, climbed the eiffel tower etc.

started doing mini triathlons are managed to get a sub-1hr 400m swim/8km bike/2.5km run which i was stoked about

made friends with someone at the australian embassy which was been wonderful - we went to a gala dinner onsite and i think that's a once in a lifetime experience

flew back to australia for the holidays which was again, another insane trip of three weeks in a suitcase

brisbane for a few days, to adelaide for racing (we were guests of honor which was hilarious) and to catchup with our friends and chicken schnitzels; back to brisbane and then to sydney

for my graduation gift, we booked a hotel under the sydney harbour bridge which was like a staycation in our own city. that was such a treasured part of my year

the uni dress people gave me a faulty phd bonnet which was too late to be fixed which resulting in a botched graduation photo with VC :( i got it replaced it after the ceremony but i still haven't recovered from the embarassment and anger!!!!!!

we flew out that night to hong kong for the international racing and catch ups! saw romantic warrior win up close <3

and then flew home just in time for christmas (we had a moo deng angel for our fiddle leaf) and spent christmas at the ritz carlton in riyadh which was unparallelled luxury

oh the manuscript was finally published on the 12/12 in nature communications (v prestigious, v proud) but bc of the embargo, i missed out on doing all public inteviews and tv appearances as i was no longer in australia :---(((((( honestly, the whole process sucked and really jaded me as a scientist - i know it's publish or perish but they just make it so demanding and hard

also they charged us 10k USD to publish which is an actual joke as they don't do any print versions, we could used that to perform more experiments

oh the patent was finalised too so now i can say i have officially found a potential cure for cancer

in bed at 10:30pm on new years because honestly, i think we celebrated every week of this year in a different shape or form

2025

just not sure hey!

i can't seem to get a job here try as i might

going to sweden to mid-jan to ski (read: apres bc i don't ski lol) with friends from australia and america! i am scared of the cold but we shall see

saudi cup is a big time here as the richest horse race in the world

we may be moving compounds which is slightly annoying

our cancer therapy will move into clinical trials in the first half of the year so i am really hoping that we can do some good in the world and make a difference to some families

we have tickets to the imola and monaco f1 gps!!! hoping to do lake como between the racing and we have a yacht for monaco!!!!!!

we may be moving to *** mid-year but stay tuned/fingers crossed

but other than that, inshallah it will be a good year!

[attibar]

More Toppat leader headcanons: Electric Boogaloo

These are some (a lot) of my overall headcanons that I usually use in my AUs.

Some of the leaders have unofficial nicknames in the form of “Toppat X” depending on how the clan sees them. For example Wilford gets referred to as Toppat Dad due to many seeing him as a father figure. 

 Wilford is conflicted by this. On one hand he’s flattered, on the other hand he feels embarrassed at being referred to as a dad by his subordinates.

It doesn’t help that Terrence, being the shit he is, will call Wilford “daddy” with no warning.

Dusty and Cloudface adopted Jaques as a child and raised him as their own during their reigns. It was this and Jaques expanding the clan to international level that gave him the nickname the Toppat Prince.

Henry still has the nickname the Toppat King. However if his powers get revealed some of the more overzealous Toppats start referring to him as the Toppat God, much to his chagrin.

The main reason Wilford had Terrence as his right hand was due to having immense trust and faith in him. His quick thinking has saved Wilford many, many times. Terrence, similar to Right, cares more about his chief than the clan itself; Terrence would never betray Wilford.

Wilford can be a workaholic and a perfectionist at times. He has taken Toppats under his wing to help improve their skills.

Terrence, at best, sees Reginald as a winy annoying little brother. At worst, he dislikes Reginald’s cowardice and absurd ambition, seeing him as a walking disaster waiting to happen.

The feeling is mutual though. Reginald sees him, at best, as a dumbass adrenaline junkie and at worst someone who is unhinged and will ruin the clan.

Reginald and Terrence used to prank and mess with each other prior to Terrence’s leadership. This ranged from Reginald applying super glue to Terrence’s hat to Terrence sneaking hot pink dye into Reg’s shampoo.

Wilford’s favorite alcoholic drink is whiskey. He’s got a stash of it hidden in his office.

They both joined the clan as teenagers/young adults.

Only Terrence knows this, but Wilford is actually Scottish. He’s worked on hiding his accent. However sometimes it comes out, particularly when Wilford is upset or surprised.

Terrence once got to record Wilford speaking with his accent, to hilarious results

Unusual for the time, the majority of Reynaldo’s elites and even his right hands were mostly women. To quote Reynaldo:

“Question. who is the last person you want to fight: a man or a woman? The answer is the woman and I’ll tell you why. Men will hurt you, women will fucking destroy you. I grew up with three sisters, I know my shit.”

There was little doubt to the skill of his elites. Some referred to them as the Amazons of the Toppat clan.

Reynaldo grew up in a town in the southern area of Mexico.

If a Toppat who angered him has a child, sometimes he’ll threaten to teach the little one Spanish swear words.

Randy has tried many, many different types of drugs. However there’s some even he won’t touch such as heroin.

Randy will refer to Reynaldo as “Reynaldo the bitch” if both ever came back to life. Randy’s a little salty about Rey killing him.

TRNK would prefer to keep the name instead of his original one. He doesn’t want his original identity to be connected to the monster he has become.

TRNK was fairly cognizant after being revived. Three things caused him to go mad:

The immense pain from the botched revival.

Constantly being seen and feared as an abomination no matter what he did.

His own elites seeing him as a weapon to be continuously modified for Clan purposes.

Besides that though, TRNK loves to play chess and poker.

Billy G is an excellent cook and especially enjoys spicy Indian food. He once made a meal so spicy Wilford thought the man was trying to kill him.

More than once has Sven fallen asleep on top of paperwork. He ends up with the text staining his face.

[neverland93]

Peter Pan imagine / Disturbia

Neverland… when you think of Neverland, you think of mermaids, Indians, pirates, lost boys, tropical creatures. No , that’s not what Neverland is at all.

Pirates are thieves, they will creep in the night and steal you.

The mermaids, they’re sirens , and they’ll creep inside you and consume you.

The Indians can put a disease in your mind and control you.

Too close to comfort? Yeah I know.

You arrived on neverland, soaking wet, you washed up on the beach not knowing what to expect

You arrived thinking it was rainbows and butterflies, you heard Peter Pan and his lost boys were mischievous but you didn’t know they were like this.

You were walking around and taking everything in , it was beautiful but you were worried about meeting everyone, you didn’t know what to expect but you hoped for the best,

Suddenly it became sunset in no time and you panic trying to get to the campground. Walking and trying to look for any sign you couldn’t find any. You were losing hope til then you saw fire . Finally you were about to be safe.

You walk up to the campground and see boys and girls, you thought Neverland was boys only? Apparently not.

They were dancing near the campfire, some had masks on their faces, some were holding swords and weapons, and some were even drinking what looked like whiskey straight from the bottle.

Geez you thought, they sure aren’t angels.

You walk up and nobody notices you, they continue to dance, drink and talk amongst themselves, until a younger lost boy pulls on your shirt

“What are you doing here?” He says in a nosy tone

“Hi! I’m Y/n and I wanted to join Neverland.” You say happily

That’s when everyone stops , the music, the laughter, and drinking.

“And what makes you think you’re even capable of joining Neverland?” A boy wearing all green comes out of the darkness, he had brown/chestnut hair and green eyes, he looked like trouble but that’s fine, you didn’t mind trouble.

“I heard about you, and well, I thought i fit the category.” You said

Everyone laughed

They all circled you and danced around you and verbally harassed you, calling you names and saying you weren’t fit for Neverland.

You start to regret your choice and decision of coming to Neverland , crouching down and putting your head on your knees and covering your ears trying to block everything out.

“Stop!” The boy with green eyes said

You look up and take your hands off your eyes, what was going to happen next?

You look at him and wait for whatever was in store

“What do you think Neverland is?” He asked

“Well I assume that it’s where lost boys and lost girls go, who are abandoned by their families.” You said unconfidently

“Wrong.” He said

“I beg your pardon?” You say a little scary

“Im Peter Pan. King of this island. And this , this is Neverland.” He said with a smirk

“Wha-what are you going to do to me?” You get a little nervous

“Nothing, yet, everyone, continue with your activities.” He said and everyone does

He grabs your hand and brings you in the campground even more , sitting you on a log as he still stands up

“Is this what you wanted ? To feel apart of something? To be loved and wanted?” He asked

“Well, yes.” You said simply

“You’re reading the wrong books, you’re in the cities of wonders, we ain’t gonna play nice, watch out, you might just go under, Better think twice. Your train of thought will be altered. So if you must falter be wise.” He says with a smile close to the fire

“Peter you’re gonna burn yourself watch out!” You say as he almost falls in the fire he saw how scared you were so he got amused

He then gets a sword from a lost boy and puts it in the fire waiting for it to turn red as it does he swings it next to you almost touching you with it, you’re scared and frightened, screaming for your life as everyone laughs and thinks it’s a joke and having fun, while you are having a horrible time.

Peter drops the sword and gets close to your face

“Am I scaring you tonight?” He says he says with a evil smirk

All you could do was just stare at him

“Ain’t used to what you like?” He asked again

You shake your head no.

“Welcome, to Disturbia, also known as, Neverland.” He says as everyone cheers and takes their cups and chugs their drink.

What’s next in store for you? You’ll have to find out.

[onekisstotakewithme]

Double Update Day Part II

Chapter IV: Hawkeye

Summary: “Did you always want to be a doctor?’

“Family business,” BJ says, smiling at him. “My father and grandfather were both doctors, and sure, I could’ve been a lawyer, or a teacher, but… I figured this was the best way I knew how to help people. What about you?”

“Family business. Of course, it goes back less generations than yours. My father was a doctor, his father ran the general store, and my great-grandfather sold whiskey and hors d'oeuvres to Indians.”

Thank you all again for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

[a-silent-symphony]

Nightwish's Floor Jansen: "Life is short. Time is not endless"

Floor Jansen opens up on her battle with breast cancer, going solo and what we can expect from the next Nightwish album

It’s Friday April 22, 2022 at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland. Fifteen thousand Nightwish fans await a much-delayed live taste of their heroes’ ninth album, Human. :II: Nature., released as the world shut down in 2020. Anticipation is high. The stage will soon be engulfed in enough fire to obliterate a small village. Aside from a handful of dates in Finland in 2021, this is Nightwish’s first full-scale show in more than three years.

Backstage, Floor Jansen feels like death. In her stage armour she looks fearsome – a tattooed Boudica for the modern age. Such a gig wouldn’t normally faze her. Floor, 41,has been fronting metal bands since she was 16. But just now she’s come down with a virulent stomach flu at the worst possible time, and she’s wondering how the hell she’ll get through the next two hours onstage.

“It was unlike anything I’ve ever done,” she says of the stomach flu that almost derailed that post-Covid comeback. “I mean, you get sick now and then, but this was brutal. I don’t know what kind of virus I picked up, but it was a very violent one. I was up all night, and then I still had to travel from Berlin to Tampere. It was horrible.” She shrugs. “But yeah, what can you do?”

It’s not hard to see why Floor gets called a ‘powerhouse’. Part opera singer, several parts rock star – with the dynamism of both – she exudes indestructibility. If Bruce Dickinson had a daughter with Xena: Warrior Princess, it would have been Floor. But there are other sides to her: different personas that reveal a more complex, interesting picture of a ‘powerhouse’ lead singer.

There’s the animal-loving homebody. The thrillseeker. The proud vegetarian. The whiskey drinker. The metal icon with a solo pop album on the way. The Highly Sensitive Person, whose hyper-stimulated sense of the world shines through her performances. The person who, just three weeks before headlining Wembley Arena with Nightwish, underwent surgery for breast cancer.

“I’m always myself,” she summarises, simply. “So whether I run around in jeans fixing a fence, or ride my horse, or go onstage in warrior outfits… it’s all the same. It’s just a different side, as you can see.”

We meet Floor over Zoom in December, as she wrestles with dodgy wi-fi backstage in Milan. “Is it noisy for you, in the background?” she asks in perturbed Dutch tones. “It’s basically one big open box here…” Dark-eyed and slightly frazzled in a grey hoodie, Floor has a business-like streak that softens as talk turns to things like her solo music, her bandmates and the cigars she enjoys with her husband, Sabaton drummer Hannes Van Dahl.

On another day she might have come in from feeding the horses at her rural property on Sweden’s west coast. You wouldn’t fuck with her, but you’d gladly go for a drink with her. Out on the road with Nightwish, there’s a decent amount of the latter. The band “wobble” around Christmas markets drinking glühwein. They rate vegetarian food in Indian restaurants as part of a longstanding curry club. The shows themselves have been jubilant affairs.

“Last night we were surprised with some bottles of champagne,” she grins, “which we then drank, and became very happy…”

It’s all so far removed from lingering notions of Nightwish as some sort of dictatorship or soap opera, with singers driven away by its founder’s maniacal demands. They seem like friends – as in, actual friends.

“It’s absolute genuine fun,” she nods. “We’ve always had that. And there are always ups and downs; it’s like a big marriage. But we’ve been longing for this tour a lot. Especially after the pandemic, we don’t take it for granted at all.”

For Floor, the isolation of lockdown reinforced her ties to the band, but it also kickstarted her solo work. She’d begun to think of it in 2019, following an appearance on Dutch TV show Beste Zangers (‘Best Singers’), but she was still very much a band person, with a new Nightwish album cycle around the corner. Come March 2020, for the first time in her career, she found herself separated from that group mentality.

She spent time with her husband and daughter, now five. She grew vegetables and looked after her horses, cats and enormous Irish wolfhound. She worked on her online profile, communicating with her fans on a regular, down-to-earth level. At the same time, she began working with collaborators on solo material. An alternative, poppier sound started to brew.

In spring 2022 she appeared on Germany’s Beste Zangers equivalent, Sing Meinen Song, for which she sang in German (one of the four languages she speaks in addition to Dutch, English and Swedish). Gradually, a standalone Floor Jansen was evolving.

“My desire from the get-go was to find a sound that fits with me, not something created around me. But how do you do that? So I used up a large part of the pandemic in a trial-and-error search for this sound.”

It wasn’t easy. Ten years of bringing Tuomas Holopainen’s visions to life had left her with phenomenal vocal skills, but limited songwriting practice. Her first ideas, she says, “weren’t that great”.

“I’ve done it [songwriting], but I haven’t been doing much in the last 10 years,” she admits. “Plus I’m in a band with someone like Tuomas. It makes me feel very small, like, ‘What do I have to add to a world full of music?’ So from that insecurity I had to find my way and accept that I am more limited, and that I have different ideas.”

Teaming up with Dutch producer Gordon Groothedde (Snoop Dogg; Katie Melua; Floor’s previous band, After Forever) was a turning point. The first song they wrote together was Fire. A darkly atmospheric, orchestral swirl of intelligent modern pop, with the grandeur of Florence & The Machine’s cover of 1986 dance hit You’ve Got The Love, it ignited Floor’s confidence as a creator in her own right.

“I have a really hard time with love songs,” she says. “I know the majority of pop music is about love songs, and that’s also why I find it boring to listen to. So I wanted to create something that still has a message.”

Accordingly, her solo album, Paragon, shuns frothy clichés in favour of meatier subjects. Fire is about returning to life after lockdown. One song, Invincible, was written for the injured war veterans at Prince Harry’s Invictus Games – originally planned to take place in 2020 in the Hague until the pandemic got in the way.

“It’s inspired by the idea of being physically or mentally wounded, after you’ve just given everything you have,” she explains, “and something that’s left of you has to pick up life, and recover from something that you never really wanted to recover from. I want to raise awareness of the fact that this happens so incredibly often, but also to empower them. Like, ‘You already went through Hell, now you’re on your way back, you are invincible.’”

It’s hard to hear this story now without thinking of Floor’s recent health issues. Diagnosed in October 2022 at a routine mammogram screening, her breast cancer came as a total shock – two weeks before Nightwish were due to fly to South America.

“They [the doctors] said, ‘We want you to come back.’ And the thing I thought, in my naïve brain, was, ‘Oh, they fucked up something with the pictures.’ Never, ‘Oh, they found something.’” She shakes her head. “Not a single moment. Until I was there.”

Surgery was planned for the day after they came home. Until then, she says, the intense business of touring Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico proved a good distraction. The pace of it all was brutal but helpful, and reading similar stories from her fans made her feel less alone – “But at the same time, it’s an overwhelming awareness of how many people actually got this fucking disease."

“I put my emotions into the music,” she reasons, “and also had really wonderful conversations within the band, crew, management, everyone has really been there for me. It’s very tough to do it all that fast, but at the same time it helped because I didn’t have to walk around with thoughts of it too long. Because as soon as you know you have a tumour in your body, the only thing you can think of is ‘get it out’. The whole mental aspect of a cancer diagnosis is shit.”

Back at home, she had three weeks after her operation before heading out in Europe and the UK. Scarred, bruised and exhausted, she was grateful for the support of her family.

“Jesus, how I underestimated it,” she half-laughs, of the recovery process. “I was jet-lagged, I barely slept for nights after the surgery because my system was completely upside-down, you get morphine… So everyone’s been really having my back in this.”

Just a couple of days before the Wembley gig, she learned that the operation was successful. It was both a relief and a wake-up call. In Sweden, mammogram screenings start for women at the age of 40. In the Netherlands, her birthplace –and in the UK – it’s 50. Now looked up to by many, as a public figure as well as a musician, she’s determined to persuade more women to go for their scans.

“On a purely personal level it’s a bit weird, because I’m just me,” she says, of her role-model status. “But from this position, I have the power to make a difference every now and then. I wanted to make sure it has this function by saying, ‘Go and get your mammogram done.’ If I had stayed in the Netherlands, this entire thing would have gone undetected. It was so small when they took it out, but it was growing, you know? I’m very lucky.”

Cancer casts a pervasive shadow, even when it’s caught quickly. For Floor, who (when we speak to her) still has three weeks of radiation therapy to complete, it’s realigned her priorities. “It’s not like I think ‘I’m gonna die’ all the time,” she explains, “but I realise how life is short. Time is not endless. We have it now.”

To that end, Floor is making the most of 2023. After her radiotherapy is finally over, she’ll join Nightwish for 70000Tons Of Metal in the Bahamas. Festival shows will follow. In the summer the band will head to the Röskö campsite in Kitee, Finland, to record the next Nightwish album (which will be released at some point in 2024).

Part three of a trilogy that began with Endless Forms Most Beautiful and continued through Human. :II: Nature., the new album will return to themes concerning our planet and our mortality. Sonically, Floor suggests, we can expect aheavy palette.

“I would say it’s a pretty heavy album,” she muses, “but once again, it’s the multicolour diversity that is Nightwish. It’s all there. It’s going to once again take you by the hand through beautiful stories – whether they are stories from this Earth or stories about this Earth. They’re beautiful.”

Creatively, Nightwish is still Tuomas’s brainchild, though there’s a sense of collaboration around this record. Armed with his demos, the band have been working up different parts and exchanging ideas on tour – in hotel rooms and dressing rooms across the world. For Floor, this has been a happy arrangement.

“I think Tuomas has a unique view on the world and has a unique way of putting that into words,” she says, “and I think he’s outdone himself on that end once again. And also visually, the ideas that are bubbling are going to be of a next level. So yeah, there’s lots to look forward to.”

Meanwhile, along with the release of Paragon, she has solo gigs planned in Europe. “And of course it would be wonderful to go to the UK,” she adds, “we are working on that as well.”

If all goes to plan, Floor Jansen could be a name that reaches well beyond metal circles – paving the way for a new kind of pop star with a darker heart. Once again the ‘powerhouse’ label feels apt, with all the truths and misconceptions that come with it.

“Power is often connected to, especially women…” she searches for the words, “…it’s like, ‘powerful women are bitches’, you know? Maybe that’s the misconception of the century. But a powerful woman is also a woman who is intouch withher emotions, and one who can have absolute soft sides and embrace them. The idea that high sensitivity would be a weakness? That is actually the absolute misperception.

“And that goes for men, too: for men to be in touch with their feelings and to be able to communicate them… that is a bigger strength than [makes growling, macho noise]. That’s going to bring us a whole lot further.”

Between travels, Floor will recharge at home in the Swedish countryside. On cold evenings, she and Hannes sometimes retreat to their grillhouse, light the fire and relax over single malts and a cigar – things that bonded them when they first met on tour with Iced Earth. Small connections between worlds.

“I can say that my happiest place is home, but that’s not true because after half a year I’ll claw up the walls,” she laughs. “I can say it’s on tour, but after a month I really want to go home. I can say it’s onstage, but then putting my daughter to bed is equally amazing at times. The ultimate thing is to have the luxury of both.”

[whiskylovers]

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[purgatory-shenanigans]

The OC of the Day is Ahyoka Nelowie!

Age: 37

Birthdate: September 18th, 1801

Date of Assassination: March 30th, 1839

Death Date: April 1st, 1839

Gender: Cis Female

Orientation: Bisexual/romantic

Backstory: Ahyoka is a Cherokee woman who was raised by her uncle in a semi-assimilated town on the border of Georgia and South Carolina. She fell in love and married Akikta, who turned out to abusive husband. She ends up having three kids, two with Akikta, and one with someone who she had an affair with. When the Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears commenced, Ahyoka was furious and tried to do her best to prevent it through petitions, letters, new paper articles, etc. When everything failed, she took it upon herself and killed Martin Van Buren as repercussion for what happened to her people.

Likes: Exploration, hunting, her kiddos, whiskey

Dislikes: Clowns, farming, her husband

[curlysgirl0202]

Head Cannon:

Curly Bill and Johnny Ringo: Do They Kiss and Tell?

Curly Bill:

If there was ever a cowboy who commanded the attention of those around him, it was Curly Bill Brocious. A survivor of the American civil war which eventually led him to a life of lawlessness. It wasn't necessarily the life he dreamed of when he was growing up, but the violence of the wild west left people with few options and making an honest living just didn't pay enough. In these violent times, options were limited. The only thing that could cure Curly's fatigue from living on the dodge is a woman. Unfortunately for old Curly, he's got to pay if he wants the comfort of a lady's touch. But then you entered his life and showed him affection, understanding and a chance at redemption and the old cowboy adores you for that. He admires your elegance and beauty and a charm that can send the devil himself into a storm of bewilderment and wonder! Tombstone considers you a rare and irreplaceable gem and of one of the town's most desirable women so when you choose Curly Bill Brocious, no one is more shocked than him. His shock is deadened by his surprise that with all you know about him and all you have seen, you still smile with delight in your dancing eyes each time you see him. And he is all to happy to have you close to him so he can touch you often and let the men of the town know who you belong to. His pride shows on his face when he's strolling through town with you.

So, if you and Curly were seeing each other, would he kiss and tell?

For Curly, this is almost a no brainier; he is a man who has an overwhelming desire for the admiration and respect of the men around him. So after an evening or an afternoon with you, his red sash gang would bombard him with questions and Curly would be all too happy to answer them.

The Cowboys questions would include:

*Did you kiss her?

*She kiss you back?

*Did she take her hair down?

*Is her hair real soft?

*Did you take her?

*She let you touch her?

*All over?

*Did she touch you?

"Well, boys. YN is crazy about me. Yeah, I ran my hands through her hair and it was soft as it looks. I ain't never seen a beauty like YN before and you boys ain't either. Those big eyes of hers lookin' up at me all sweet and fine and them red lips and well, she's the prettiest dame around here! She laid down on the bed and was lookin' so damn sweet, I just had to have her. She let me unlace her dress and I did real nice like, boys. Then she was shakin' all over since I made her feel like that! She looking up at me cuz she ain't never had a man like me before. She ain't no whore. She's so sweet. She kissed me and told me I was the best at kissin' And when I got on top of her, she was lookin' so fearful since she ain't never had a man to love her right. I almost felt guilty for bein' with her like that cuz she was looking like she didn't know what to do and she just laid there and let me kiss her all over! And she was all breathin' heavy and she looked at me and didn't say nothin' since she was so over head and ears, she could hardly move. She was sayin' I was the toughest and best lookin'."

Most of his boys sat listening intently as story telling was as important to them as TV is to us! Ike and Billy Clanton hoot and howl and Pony and Indian Charlie clink their bottles of whiskey together before saying, "damn, Curly Bill! She really said that?"

"Yeah, boys. She told me I was the best damn lookin' man in Tombstone. She didn't say much more than that since I was making her swoon all over." Curly Bill takes his hat off and runs his thick fingers through his unruly dark hair. "Then she was feelin' so mighty fine, she just fell asleep right there in my arms."

"Hot damn!" Stillwell declares. "She fell asleep first?"

"Well, yes, boys. I done told you I had her real fine. And I know iffin I want to be with her, she'll let me have her all cuz I made her feel all nice and good" Curly flicks his tongue and smiles.

"She even yelled, "oh my, Curly Bill!"

"Damn..." Ike Clanton answered, shaking his head. "She really said that, Curly? Come on now! She done said that? Hell, I ain't never had a girl say my name lessen I paid her for it!"

"Well, that's what she said, boys! Then she could barely take a breathe since I plumb wore her out!"

The only cowboy not exploding with reaction was Johnny Ringo who listened to Curly's yarn, knowing damn well you probably didn't tell him he was the "best damn looking man." Johnny thinks you're a special woman and although he knows Curly Bill really does appreciate you and cares for you and would probably do anything for you, the old cowboy can't help but add to his stories. The next time Curly Bill talk about you, he'll more than likely put in a few more details. Women don't swoon over Curly so it's tough to believe the rustler had you swooning. Not that Curly Bill didn't bring you pleasure and it is obvious you like him too...Curly just can't help but stretch the truth to impress the men around him whose admiration he desperately wants. Ringo smiles and looks at the ground. He can't help but love old Curly. Ringo enjoys the story as it is entertaining and Curly was a hell of a story teller.

Frank McClaury laughed out loud causing Curly Bill to grow angry. "You don't remember that newspaper that said you was the ugliest damn gunslinger in Arizona!" A few other cowboys chuckle, knowing how their boss can spin a story.

"Shut your pie hole, Frank! You wasn't there so you don't know nothin' about it. I knew what YN said and I know she's damn wild about me. I heard them words. She said I was the best lookin' man around here. She ain't said nothing like to you!"

"Maybe she did, Curly!" Billy Claiborne snorted. "Maybe she said that to me!" Frank and Billy looked at each other and laughed which only made Curly angrier. Sure, he likes to stretch the facts, but in this case, most of what he was saying was true; you were overwhelmed by the big cowboy and his touch sent you into a whimsical dance of ecstasy. You never said he was the best looking man around, but you did however compliment him on his looks and you told him you thought he was cute.

Curly regains his composure and continues spinning his yarn. Although you had a wonderful time together, he can't help but exaggerate the events which is something Curly is known to do.

Ike Clanton leaned in towards Curly. "Did you have her, Curly?"

Curly Bill smiled and winked at the Clanton brother.

"At one point, she flipped that hair of hers and started kissin' me like she ain't never been kissed before because she ain't had anyone kiss her like I did."

"Damn..." Billy Clanton sighed.

"Well, I had a girl like once!" Tom McClaury declared. "She was real pretty!"

"Pretty damn ugly!" Curly growled. "You ain't never had a woman like YN. And none of you boys have because there ain't no one like YN and I'm the one she wants!" Curly shouted, pointing to himself while standing up.

"All you boys would lay with a damn mule because you ain't got what I got!" Curly knows he's a few years older than most of his boys and a lot older than others. But he is not a man to admit he just doesn't have it anymore and you came along during a time when the old cowboy was lonely. Curly did exaggerate encounters he had with his chippies and bragged about how they thought he was so good, they didn't charge him and most of his boys believed him, but the older ones knew how Curly loved to spin his stories. In reality, most women did not give the rustler the time of day and why would they? But you are different and you do care about him. And he knows that. He respects you and certainly doesn't want to cheapen you. At the same time, he's never had a woman he can brag about; you are a true conquest and among all the men in Tombstone, you chose him and Curly Bill feels he at least earned a few bragging rights.

So when it comes to Curly Bill, he is a man who loves to kiss you and loves to talk about it...

Johnny Ringo:

Ringo does not have an overwhelming need to be the center of attention or prove to everyone he is the fastest, toughest or the bravest like Curly Bill. Johnny knows how his cowboy crew can be like and if they know he's going to be spending time with you, he knows he'll be bombarded with questions similar to the ones they asked Curly:

"She sure is pretty! What did you say to get her to go with you?"

"Does she smell as good as she looks?" "Did you get to kiss her? She kiss you too?"

"Were you able to see her shoulders or her neck? What about her legs? She show you her legs?"

Ringo may be more annoyed with all the questions from his cowboys and would probably be open with Curly Bill, but may be hesitant especially the Clanton's because he knows Ike can't keep his mouth shut and the old blowhard may start talking to everyone who would listen about you and Ringo getting together and Ringo would fear people would see you differently. Curly would be concerned about your reputation also, but wouldn't be able to resist not talking about you. Johnny is a bit more graceful and patient; his time with you would be precious and sacred and he would hate to lose you due to town gossip.

"YN is a special woman and you boys are not good enough to escort her across the street. She's an angel. She helped me to remember that I am..." Ringo would stop to gather himself as he regards you as an irreplaceable treasure. "I'm alive...I held her and yes we kissed and she is so lovely and giving..." Ringo would continue, choosing his words carefully as to not devalue you. He shakes his head and smiles in spite of himself and the cowboys look at each other since they are not used to seeing Ringo with a light hearted spirit. They also know to say anything disrespectful about you would result in a severe beating or worse...

"She's beautiful and so sweet...Like a gift from the gods. Her lips and her gorgeous eyes even Shakespeare couldn't describe. Beauty like hers only comes once in a man's life! She's the kind of woman you leave everything behind for and you swear you'll do whatever it takes to make her happy. You boys probably don't understand."

"Iffin she was my girl, I'd do anything," Curly Bill declares loudly. "I would even start wearing a suit and goin' to church if that's what she wanted! Hell! Anything for a woman like that. She's real special, Juanito and you're damn lucky!"

"I know, Bill," Johnny responds. "When I kiss her, I know I never felt safer in my life. YN is more than just a beauty. She's smart and challenges me and my thinking. I never had a woman like that." Ringo becomes so lost in his memory of you, he forgets his fellow cowboys are listening. "I just can't stop thinking about her now. I know I can't wait to see her again."

"It's tough to find the words to describe her..."

Johnny then recites...

"My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;

Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;

If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;

If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.

I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,

But no such roses see I in her cheeks;

And in some perfumes is there more delight

Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.

I love to hear her speak, yet well I know

That music hath a far more pleasing sound;

I grant I never saw a goddess go;

My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:

And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare

As any she belied with false compare." Sonnet 130 By Shakespeare.

Ringo goes to his tent and leaves his cowboys' heads spinning. He falls asleep, your face on his mind.

For Curly Bill, kissing and telling is something he definitely would do because he thrives on respect and admiration from his peers and has a need to feel important and be the center of attention. For Johnny Ringo, he is more subtle since he doesn't need the attention. Of course, he would delight in sharing some details about you and him and your time together, but wouldn't overexaggerate details.