#everstride: seth

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: his heart still thumps just as loud, just as fast as it once did all those many years ago. for she had already made a home inside his chest, carved deep inside each bone. his heart beat, belonged to her. it always would, it always will. his hands find alma’s face, the mere touch of familiar skin has his lids falling shut, jaw tightening. i missed you, i love you. so many things he wishes to say, but can’t. “still beautiful as ever.” theyre alone, he can speak such without casting glances over his shoulder. lids peel open, a swallow as he looks down at her. “more beautiful than ever.”

       FUNNY. he says that, and yet all she can see are lines across her face that weren’t there ten years ago, the slight auburn color her hair takes on now because she can’t color it quite as dark as it used to be, the slight ache in her hip that she can’t get rid of when it’s cold in the morning. meanwhile he just looks distinguished and REFINED, carrying age and power like he’s always been suited for them.

       her skin lights up when he touches her, his words stoking that flame into a blazing inferno. ❝ SETH... ❞ a rare utterance of his given name, almost a prayer, spilling across her lips. ❝ i meant what i said. you have... been all the most vivid colors in my memories of this place. ❞ a gloved hand rises to place itself over his. ❝ it’s NICE to see all of those colors again. ❞

[apexhe]

@everstride​ screamed: “ ❝ this is my worst nightmare. ❞ from brooke “

         her  name  tumbles  from  his  lips  once  desperate,   twice  panicked,   pulse  a  quickened  threat  thrumming  within  tension - ridden  muscles  at  the  offbeat  quietude  he  receives  in  response.   their  separation  had  been  unintended.   one  minute  there,   the  next  gone   ——   a  flurry  of  white  masks  stark  against  inky  black  shadows  and  too  much  adrenaline  overwhelming  his  senses  and  oh  god,   oh  god,   he  hadn’t  meant  to  lose  track  of  her,   hadn’t  meant  to  take  his  eyes  off  of  her.   limbs  clamber  through  the  panic  which  threatens  to  overwhelm,   careless  in  the  breadcrumb  noises  leading  anyone  within  earshot  directly  to  him.   o,   let  the  killer  come  for  him  now!   boy  determined   /   boy  frightened,   brandishing  a  blade  so  similar  to  the  one  he  gifted  her  with.   he’s  prepared  now,   shouldering  a  corner  and   ——

         ——   and  tentative  gaze  befalls  her  form  just  as  she  turns  to  face  him.   heady  relief  floods,   so  immense  that  it  has  him  overlooking  the  mass  crumpled  at  her  feet  for  the  moment.   just  a  moment,   honeyed  and  grateful,   until  it  is  tainted  by  the  scarlet  painting  her  hands,   the  knife  a  gunshot  as  it  collides  with  the  floor,   the  body,   the  dissociated  whisper:   he  came  out  of  nowhere   [ . . . ]   this  is  my  worst  nightmare.   there  is  no  hesitation.   he’s  already  in  the  process  of  pocketing  his  protection  and  folding  her  into  his  chest,   chin  shelved  on  the  crown  of  her  head.   death  is  different  up  close.   it’s  nothing  like  the  rumors,   the  gossip,   the  mere  glimpses  of  relived  horrors.   there  is  no  dissociation  to  cling  to,   not  with  seth  branson  mirroring  own  unblinking  gaze,   motionless  in  a  sea  of  red.   there’s  so  much  blood.   why  is  there  so  much  blood?

         ❛   it’s  okay.   you’re  alright.   ❜   it’s  murmured  thoughtlessly,   a  sweet  nothing  ill - placed  and  ineffective.   he  pulls  away  from  her,   grip  finding  her  upper  arms,   shoulders  stooped  and  gaze  seeking.   ❛   you’re  alright,   okay?   ❜   watch  now!   see  psyche  race  within  umber  hues,   bear  witness  to  frantic  thought  process.   they  could  claim  self  defense,   but  branson  doesn’t  have  a  weapon.   they  could  leave,   but  their  fingerprints  are  everywhere   ——   and,   more  importantly,   the  killer’s  aren’t.   the  killer.   the  killer!   if  he  was  coming  after  them,   he  could  have  been  after  branson,   too.   no,   the  killer  was  after  branson;   he  watched  it  happen,   watched  the  black  cloak  sink  the  dagger  and  vanish.   digits  are  swift  in  snatching  the  weapon  she  dropped  before  he  says  another  word,   intentional  in  their  incrimination  of  himself  to  ensure  his  plan  is  followed.   ❛   do  you  have  your  phone?   i  dropped  mine,   and  we  gotta   ——   we  gotta  call  the  cops.   tell  them  what  that  psycho  just  did   [ . . . ]   you  catch  my  drift?   ❜  

scream sentence starters  | accepting!

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: he cradles her in his arms, her body submerged in his lap as his fingers stroke down the frame of her face, sight drifting over curls and porcelain features before he’s leaning down, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead, mouth lingering before he’s pulling back. “you mean more to me than you know.”

       she lets him pull her in, RELAXES into him that much. she lets herself have this one precious moment with him. she’s not sure what’s possessed him to do this, to open himself up in this way, but it’s been so long since she’s been this close to him, and it feels... comforting. the warmth of his body, his familiar smell, the sense of having THE PERSON YOU LOVE close, hearing their heartbeat close by, it was all nice, but the fact is, especially given the day’s events, she isn’t sure what to make of it all.

       ❝ mmm... is that why you were throwing A TEMPER TANTRUM at hearst earlier today ? he’s dangerous, seth, and much as i... appreciate the intention at play, this particular beast will require a much more deft touch to tame. ❞ a small, frustrated sigh, the next part muttered almost to herself. ❝ reckless bravado isn’t always the answer, no matter how much the men in this town seem to THINK it is. ❞

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: He could spot her in a crowd from miles away, even if his attention was transfixed elsewhere; he’d be drawn to her in the end, no matter what. As he is now, feeling something ripple through his own body, a lump swallowed after bopping as he watches her stride. The direction gives him an indication for what seems to drag her face to the ground — but there’s something else, and the guilt inside eats away as his feet carry him blindly towards her. It’s when she briefly stops, her eyes locked with his that Seth’s unable to hold himself back, movements quick, gentle, fingers loose around her elbow as he guides her from the centre, from prying eyes or ears. He doesn’t look back, or up. Afraid to see a familiar face staring back, knowing all too well. He pulls Alma far, stopping once he’s sure they’re alone. Hidden away and out of sight. He turns to her, lips slowly parting to speak before he’s falling short, a hand lifting to the back of her head as he pulls her into his chest. “Alma.”

       her mind is spinning, heart ROARING in her ears. she hates to think it, but perhaps both hearst and ellsworth were right, perhaps she’d been too reckless, too overindulgent, too eager to prove to her husband that she didn’t need him to take care of her, to hearst that she was more than capable of managing on her own. that and she needed to keep busy, needed to keep moving so she didn’t have to face the pain that stillness brought. if she stops, she has to face what she’s lost, and that isn’t an option right now. that hurts too much.

       but then HE’S THERE, right in front of her: a symbol of everything she’s grieving right now. she wants more than anything to run to him, to throw her arms around him and hold him close, beg him to just remind her that at least he’s still there, still alive, that that’s something, to tell her that he’ll protect her ( and god, doesn’t she hate herself for that thought ). she stares at him for a moment, preparing to tear herself away, when all of a sudden, he’s pulling her away and then against him.

       she INHALES sharply, freezing for a moment as the familiar smell and feel of him overwhelms her. oh, she needs this. she needs this so much. a small sob falls unbidden from between her lips and she wraps her arms around him in turn. she nuzzles close against his chest and cries, long and hard, until she can’t cry anymore. then, embarrassed, she pulls away, rubbing at now reddened orbs and blinking slowly up at him. ❝ i APOLOGIZE, mr. bullock. ❞ soft voice has a bit of a scratch to it, roughened by the heavy sobs. ❝ i did not mean to make such a horrendous scene. ❞

[flyingupward]

       ❝ where there is LIGHT, the shadow appears: the cause and effect when life interferes. ❞

@everstride​ // liked for a starter

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: “Marry me.” Out of breath, sweat clad and covered in crimson from the scorching heat. Already on both of his knees, taking her hands in his own. “Forget him. Forget them all. Marry me.” Picking his finest moment, cutting it too short. She was to be wed to Ellsworth, a good suitor — for both Alma, Sofia. But the selfish tendencies inside override, leaving the vow hed made to go make another. “If I am to be too late, then I must get it all out. For I have never felt such a way for anyone.” Love made you do crazy spontaneous things.

       most brides wear white on their wedding day, but NOT ALMA GARRET, oh no. not this time, at least. no, this time, she’s adorned in blue velvet and gold, lilacs pinned into her hair, mostly because sofia had mentioned that she liked them. her stomach is in knots as the time draws nearer, a sense of dread washing of her, and with it, a sense of guilt. ellsworth is a good man. he will be a good father to sofia and the baby, and she could not ask for a KINDER man to spend a life with. but she doesn’t love him. no, her heart lies firmly with another: the father of her child, a man she cannot have. she swore after brom she would never marry again unless it was for love, and yet, her decisions have brought her here.

       she hears the door open and she STANDS, expecting it to be trixie telling her that it’s time, but it’s not. it’s him. it’s him and she can hardly hear him through the roaring of the blood in her ears. he’s asking... good god, is he seriously asking this NOW ? of all times ? asking this when he knows as well as she does that it’s impossible ? ❝ mr. bullock, you... you can’t seriously be asking me... ❞ and yet her hands tighten in his, her body betraying what her lips don’t dare to say. 

       she takes in a long, deep breath, one hand going to rest over her stomach, as if to PROTECT the life growing there from the anguish also flourishing within her. ❝ i was sat here, praying like i haven’t since i was a girl, imagining you doing this very thing. i didn’t think in a million years you would actually... because we can’t. you... made it very clear that you don’t want to subject mrs. bullock and your son to what us being together would entail and i... i understand that. i have done my best to MAKE MY PEACE with it. what’s changed ? why now ? ❞

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: hands come to cup alma’s cheeks, leaning down to gently press his mouth to her forehead before resting his own against hers. “no matter how hard i try, can’t seem… to get you outta my head.” a pause, unsure whether to speak. “my heart. every part of you still with me.”

       she isn’t sure what to make of this. she still loves him, she always will, but she’d done her best to convince herself to move on. all this time, she thought he had. now, here he is, after all this time, confessing... what ? ❝ WHAT IS THIS, seth ? ❞ she makes no move to step away. she likes the closeness. that doesn’t mean she’s not suspicious of it. ❝ what... why are you telling me this ? why NOW ? ❞

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: There’s a glow to him like never before; at least one that he hasn’t so much as felt in decades. It was like coming up for a fresh of breath air, the first in a long, long time. The first breath of air after a long dreary winter. It’s all because of her, it was always because of her. Albeit, he never thought he’d see the sight of her; had merely thought he was dreaming—hallucinating all over again that Alma Ellsworth was in his presence. Now he stands before her, holding her close, hand in hand, the music blasting and all he can see, hear and feel is her, her, her. The room, the people; it was all a blur, just the two of them together again.

He can feel himself leaning in, lifting up the hand resided at her hip to gently caress her cheek, fingers lifting to her curls that he barely grazes. He wants to kiss her, wants to feel alive for the first time again. He’s about to say fuck it, about to lean in and feel her lips against his own— until there’s a tug at his side, the presence of a small child; Florence, his youngest. His grip on Alma’s hand tightens, his ears ringing, pulse pounding as he looks to the young girl who’s features mimic his own far too much, looking more like him than his own son did at times. He’s hesitant to let Alma go, squeezing her hand again, thumb brushing over her knuckles before he reluctantly lets go, leaning down to pick Florence up and situate her on his hip, a smile blooming over his face. “Now you know better than to interrupt, little lady.” The little girl grins, arms wrapping round Seth’s neck and burying her face into his neck. He casts a glance to Alma, something almost bittersweet, taking him back far too long ago; to a much younger Sofia, to a much younger them. “Florence, I’d like you to meet… the incredibly special, Mrs Alma Ellsworth.” Her head turns, poking round to give Alma a small smile. “And Mrs Ellsworth, this here is my youngest, Florence. She’s… a little more codependent after the loss of her mother.”

       she’s utterly lost in him. seeing him has been like coming alive again. after the overwhelming half life of new york, worth it, of course, for sofia’s sake, but with the ever present siren SONG OF DEADWOOD calling her back, even just seeing him is like taking a breath of air after starting to drown. and the electricity between them is palpable as always. even after all this time, they can’t seem to stay away from each other, like moths to a flame. as the dance brings her into his arms, they linger far longer than they’re supposed to. he leans in CLOSER, and her eyes begin to flicker shut as she anticipates the feeling of his lips on hers, of that dream that had drawn its first breath now taking its first steps.

       then a little voice speaks.

       at first, she doesn’t even consider it could be speaking to seth. HE DOESN’T HAVE CHILDREN. he can’t. but then it hits her. he does. he has a few actually. and damn, if that doesn’t punch her in the gut. it’s a loss she hasn’t felt in a while: the loss of their baby, but it’s all alma can do to swallow the tears and smile at the girl as brightly as she can, to focus on florence and not the specter of a child that could have been. she clears her throat ❝ hello florence. it’s so very nice to meet you. has ANYONE ever told you you have beautiful eyes ? just like your father’s. ❞

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: ♬ alma/seth

     ❝ i’ve waited way too long to say EVERYTHING you mean to me. ❞

[flyingupward]

       she’s been laying there for A LONG MOMENT, letting her breathing come back to normal as her heart hammers against his. sighing contentedly, she turns back towards him. she perches herself on his chest, lips pressing over the skin there, as she looks him dead in the eye. she just takes him in for a moment, knowing she’s about to shatter this SERENITY. she wants to enjoy the last few moments of it.

       then she takes a deep breath and lets it out. ❝ what would you say if i asked you to leave her ? ❞ she keeps looking at him, letting that hang there for a moment. ❝ if i told you I WANTED TO be with you, properly, that i was tired of being the other woman, that i love you and i think you love me too and we owe it to ourselves to give this A PROPER SHOT, what would you say ? ❞

@everstride​

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: [ text ] So…. I like you / seth @ alma

[ txt: SETH BULLOCK ] you like me ? [ txt: SETH BULLOCK ] i’m afraid you’re going to have to be a bit more specific, seth. are you saying what i think you’re saying ?

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: “There’s nothing better than waking up in the morning pantsless with flowers in your hair.” for alma from seth

       ❝ sweetheart, just how much did you have to drink last night ? ❞ still, a fond smile crawls over her face DESPITE HERSELF as she bends down to pluck a flower from his hair. ❝ sofia did a lovely job. ❞

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: coming up behind alma, seth’s hands slowly find her hips to move along to the expanding bump, their daughter tucked away inside slowly growing and growing. pressing his mouth to the side of her head, lips curling as hands come to stop and rest against the front of her stomach. “how is my darling wife doing today?”

       alma smiles the moment she feels HIS HANDS on her. she relaxes back into his touch, a soft sigh spilling from her lips. ❝ well hello there, ❞ she murmurs, head turning to catch his lips in a kiss, ��� you know, she’d be doing a lot better if her husband would agree to blow off work and keep her and OUR DAUGHTER company today. what do you think ? what are the chances ? ❞

[flyingupward]

       she lets out a throaty chuckle, arching her head back to let his beard slide along her skin. ❝ oh, i’m no angel. you of all people should know that by now. ❞ her foot runs up the back of his leg, gently teasing. ❝ after all, i did run out of an already lawless town with a technically MARRIED MAN. pretty sure heaven wouldn’t approve... ❞

@everstride​ // cont’d

[flyingupward]

       ah, now this meeting delilah has been waiting for. if there was one person her father came back from his trip seething about most, it was THE HANDSOME SHERIFF her sister had been making eyes at. delilah has no idea whether that relationship has come to anything or not, but regardless, she’s not afraid to test the waters. schooling her features into her best approximation of alma’s ( eyes a bit wider, posture a bit straighter ), she gives the man a shy nod and gently grasps his arm. ❝ sheriff bullock. do you have a moment we might speak in PRIVATE ? ❞ 

@everstride​ // liked for a chaotic goblin

[flyingupward]

@everstride​ said: ( sms ) : please don't say i told you so... / for alma from seth

       [ sms: seth ] why ? what did you do ?        [ sms: seth ] which hospital am i driving to and how bad is it ?