#funny thing is that she actually grew up on a horse ranch too

[hc-artz]

My sister pointed this out and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it

[buckysgrace]

Gator Tillman Headcanons

Just some random thoughts I had about baby boy tonight <3

I for sure think he was born premature? A teeny tiny little baby with big brown eyes lol.

Definitely got doted on because of his huge eyes and messy hair. Very hyper kid too, always needed to be doing something. Probably a biter tbh (spanked a lot sadly smh)

Threw an absolute fit when he was itty bitty and they were weening him off of the pacifier. That was his paci damn it!

Grew to love snakes because his mom hated them and he was quick to remove them from her garden. He thought it was funny to chase her while holding them

Roy use to make Linda keep it in a buzz cut because he hated how long it was on Gator. Thus, leaving Gator to find his own style when he was old enough.

He definitely showed cattle when he was younger. His favorite cow was named Rosie and he won several ribbons for how well kept she was <3

Knows how to ride a horse but doesn't have a desire to do so. Plus his lower back and hips are always so sore after

Prefers dogs over cats, but you best believe any time a cat is around him they're all up in his business

I also think he struggled with asthma when he was little too?? He hasn't had an attack in years but still carries an inhaler around

(don't bring up him vaping while having asthma, he gets very defensive and irritated lol)

Never been out of his hometown unless he needed to travel for competitions or for work. Probably never been on a real vacation before either.

I think he was always tall and lanky but stopped growing his sophomore year of high school?? He always wanted to be taller tho

Was in the FFA obviously.

Being an all-state quarter back I'm sure he had a ton of college offers? I imagine he was fairly average in school, probably enjoyed science more than anything else

Had a really hard time after his mom "left". I think he had a lot of anger issues at this time

His leg injury blew away any chances of him really believing that he could do better for himself, so he followed in Roys footsteps

He gets cold easy, so he always bundles up into layers and layers.

Sucks at cooking. Could not boil water to save his life. I think that he'd take cooking lessons later in life (or learn from someone hehe)

Has a surprisingly good green thumb if he'd keep up with it

Enjoys drawing in his free time and is actually really good at it.

Cannot survive anywhere where it gets too hot. He burns easily

He's in church every Sunday (sometimes Wednesday nights too, depending on his shifts) but it doesn't stop his potty mouth

Car lover of course. Likes to work on vehicles too. Occasionally welds I believe.

Loves going to car shows, or to tractor pulls lol

Most of his tattoos were random, little afterthoughts or done while he was drunk. I think he bought his own tattoo kit but opted out of it.

Flirts like a middle school boy. Will poke and prod at you, lots and lots of teasing. If you meet at a bar you best believe he's gonna be showing you all of his cool drinking tricks lol

A surprisingly good big brother, although Karen thinks he's a bad influence so he doesn't get to spend much time with them

Big fan of Game of Thrones but also loves Golden Girls lmao. And Westerns.

Does that thing where he acts like he's not interested in what's on TV but then he stands there with his hands on his hips watching the whole time lol

Do not ask him to pick you up something for the store, he will not find it

When he's high on weed he's very giggly; thinks everything is hilarious. Will absolutely lay underneath the stars and try to explain the way the universe works. Very snuggly and has the worst munchies (devours a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos in one sitting smh)

Will drink coffee (usually with a protein shake mixed in) but he 100% prefers energy drinks

Jack Daniels and PBR are obviously his drinks of choice hehe. Although he does love a good margarita occasionally

Absolutely devours some Taco Bell after he gets off the night shift. He always gets a box with a chalupa, beefy 5-layer burrito, and the fiesta potatoes but he's also getting a cheesy gordita crunch and the Cinnabon delights. And a Baja Blast. Mans has worked hard and he's hungry lmao

Hates ankle socks

For a late night snack he is breaking open something sweet. I imagine he prefers Heath bars and 100 Grand Bars.

He also loves carrot cake

[justalonelyslytherin]

Fluffy 📔 for Hangman:

Convincing him to get a cat even though he’s a dog person

(Happy celebration! Congrats on the milestone :) )

Thank you for sending this in nonnie! Answering this was so much fun :D

Convincing Hangman to get a cat even though he's a dog person:

Jake grew up in Texas, on a ranch yeah? So he grew up with all kinds of animals.

There were the horses in his parent's stables, one or more of them his own,

then there were at least two dogs, one in the stable and one family dog

his sisters at some point wanted a hamster and that’s what they got as their first own pet

maybe there were even some geckos or local reptiles he caught and put in a terrarium

and with ranches around there, of course, was also lots of cattle, but also some donkeys and what else. Maybe even the rare llama/alpaca

he got along with all of them. He likes animals and he has a good handle on them

then there are cats

His mum had one and there also were a couple mingling around the stable, to hide in the hay or to catch the mice that were prone to be drawn to the buildings (especially the chamber in which they stored the animal food)

they never liked him, and it’s not for lack of trying. Cat’s just didn’t like him

He distinctively remembers one accident when he was very little, bordering between toddler and small child

he tried to pet the cat but when he got close the cat hissed at him, and before he knew she had extended her claws and swiped across his face. It’s safe to say baby jake did not appreciate getting a bloody scratch across his cheek and down his chin,

he even claims you can still see a faint scar from said accident

ever since then he and the cats had been on the warpath

Jake’s darling girl is as much of an animal lover as he is. It’s actually one of the first things they bonded over and the thing that convinced her to give the cocky pilot a chance. If animals like him he can’t be that bad right?

shortly after they moved together, she is complaining about feeling lonely. Jake’s work has him away a lot of the time and she gets sad being completely alone in the apartment

the problem is: Their landlord doesn’t allow dogs. Besides, it’s an apartment complex and they live a couple of stories high. It’s not the ideal environment to hold a dog

But a cat, a house cat, would be perfect. Except Jake is totally not on board. He is putting his foot down and refusing vehemently. Not even her pouting and whining can convince him otherwise

that’s what he tells himself. The truth is, slowly she is wearing him down, showing him pictures and videos of cute cats, she even makes him laugh once with a funny video. He of course denies this

But then it’s the weekend and they are planning to go do something and when they are sitting in their car, driving around his girl asks him if they can make a quick stop at a friend of hers. He agrees

Two steps into her friend's place and there is a loud meow coming from the end of the hall. Jake freezes, meeting eyes with the cat that’s now standing there, looking at him and lazily flicking its tail.

The cat meows again and then it’s charging toward him. He is ready to grab anything in reach to defend himself from the vicious predator, but the attack never happens. Instead the cat circles around him and when she rubs against his legs she even starts purring

His girl is looking at him apologetically, telling him her friend's cat just had babies and she was dying to see them. He feels a little pang of sadness realizing she didn’t tell because she thought he’d deny her to see them

Hesitantly he follows the women to another room, he can already hear the tiny meows from inside, and then there they are. Multiple little fluff-balls, stumbling and tumbling over each other, one cuter than the one before.

One of the little ones gets put into his arms before he can react or refuse and once again he freezes. But here too he realizes the cat won’t hurt him. Instead, that little cotton ball is meowing quietly at him, snuggling against his fingers and being so so tiny 

He fell in love faster than he was ready for. His girl is a little concerned about how quiet he got. “Jake?”, she asks him carefully and then he looks up at her with round eyes, glassy, and mumbles “It’s so cute.”

“I want one.”

Safe to say once the little ones are old enough to be rehomed these two take the one home that Jake held in his hand (he refused to put the little one down the entire time they were visiting)

My askbox is still open, feel free to send in more headcanons or even one word/one sentence prompts for small drabbles/ficlets!

[eeveedel]

WIP Sunday

Hello all, I was tagged by to post a bit of my current WIP alongside some “art” -- I don’t have a current moodboard but I thought I would provide some general ~~aesthetic pics and another preview of the rancher harry fic -- this time an HL meet cute! I hope you all enjoy, and happy Sunday

Harry heard a rapping at the screen door, and he grunted, shifting his weight forward so he could sit up and hoist himself out of his armchair.

He took a step forward on his good leg while his bad one dragged behind him. After a bit of walking around, it usually woke up enough for him to put more weight on it, but for now, after his rest, it was a dead weight of pins and needles behind him. It took a bit of effort to get to the front door, but he got there eventually. He grabbed his cane that was leaning by the door, and then opened the wood door, revealing just the screen and what lay beyond it.

There was a man in mint green scrubs and a thick corduroy jacket on his porch, perfectly centered between the big American flag hanging beside Harry’s door and the pots of tulips lining the front gate. The man at the front door was young. He had some creases around his eyes and mouth but his freshly shaved face looked so youthful, along with his bright eyes behind his big, wire frame glasses.

“Howdy,” Harry drawled, lifting his thermos to his mouth, “You must be — “ His tongue worked in his mouth, trying to come up with the name Margaret had given him last week. It wasn’t something common around here, and yet it still evaded him.

“Shoot, I’m sorry,” he sighed, pushing up the brim of his hat with his thumb, “Help me out, what’s your name, son?”

“Oh, I’m Dr. Tomlinson, but you can call me Louis,” he said. “Dr. Baldwin caught me up on some of the animals you have here and their needs, sir,” he said. “I know you have a pregnant cow nearing the end of term and a newly pregnant mare that just needs a bit of a checkup as your main concerns. She also told me you had a few roosters and a chicken coop, is that correct?”

Harry cracked a smile and nodded.

“Well, that’s correct. Seems like you did your homework,” he said. “Cherry’s gonna have a baby now damn day now and I just found out about Goldie last month.”

He took a sip of his coffee, shuffling his feet and readjusting his cane as he did.

“You don’t need to worry too much about the chickens, they nearly take care of themselves. Got a few pigs but those are going to market in a couple months, but you can take a look at ‘em if you want to.”

He pushed at the screen door, moving out onto the porch to meet Louis directly. When he was in front of the man, he could see Louis looked even younger up close, and he was nearly a full head shorter than Harry.

“Can I get you something to drink or anything before we go out?” Harry asked, taking the briefest moment to look the young vet over.

“Um, maybe a glass of water after we finish up? It is a bit hot out today, even though it’s January,” Louis rambled. “I mean, I came from San Francisco, so it’s still hot there— anyways, sorry.”

He exhaled, his cheeks already pink.

“Could you show me to Cherry first, please?” Louis asked. “I want to make sure she and her calf are in tip top shape.”

Harry smiled gently. The young vet was eager, and looked a bit flustered. He tried not to let his gaze linger too much longer, although he already liked him.

“Sure thing. I’ll show you out the pasture. Cherry’s probably out gossiping with her friends.”

He walked to the edge of the porch, taking the small ramp that was easier to navigate with his cane.

“Tell me, they have a lot of cows out in California, Louis?” he asked as they trudged along the path, “Because if this is your first one, I’ll give you a fair warning. Cherry’s a sweet girl but a little sassy.”

“Well, I grew up in San Francisco, so no, we don’t have a lot of farms there,” Louis said. “But I studied with a bit of everything in veterinary school, and went to a lot of farms up north. So yeah, I’ve worked with cows.”

“Good, good,” Harry nodded.

He walked through along the dirt path that led from the house to the rest of the ranch. He led Louis past the chicken coop and the large horse barn, moving out to the back part of the property with the cattle barn and the large pasture. His leg was starting to wake up, making his gait a bit less strained.

“Where did you study?” he asked.

“UC Santa Barbara for undergrad and then vet school at UC Berkeley,” Louis said. “I just graduated last spring, actually.”

“Congratulations,” Harry said. “Before you look at my girls, you wanna tell me know if you were bottom of your class?”

Louis laughed a little, scratching the back of his neck.

“I was actually valedictorian.”

“Damn. Undergrad or vet school?”

“Uh,” Louis said, smiling sheepishly. “Both? And high school.”

“Jeez,” Harry chuckled. “Well. I didn’t even go to college, so you’ve already impressed me many times over.”

They arrived in front of the enormous cattle barn and the wide pasture beyond it. Harry smiled to himself, lifting the hand that wasn’t gripping his cane.

“Yep,” he smiled to himself, “There she is.”

He gestured to the pasture, and specifically pointed to one of the cows, a rich red brown and swollen at the belly, who was smack in the middle of a group of five other black and white cows.

“Gossiping, just like I thought,” Harry said. He reached for the gate, going to unlock it, “Well, come on, you can give me your expert opinion.”

“Wow, she’s beautiful,” Louis marveled.

“Don’t let her hear that, it’ll go straight to her head,” Harry said. He opened the gate fully, then opened the pasture and turned around, holding it open for Louis.

Once they were both inside, Harry approached Cherry, cooing and clicking his tongue as he walked. She looked up and stared at him, chewing slowly on a thick clump of grass, but when she was done, she let out a low moo and slowly but surely waddled towards him.

“Here she comes,” Harry smiled.

They both stood and watched her as she slowly came over, and when she did, she immediately gravitated to Harry.

“Hey, princess,” Harry said. He set his hand on her head and gently stroked her with his thumb, smiling to himself as she blinked at him with her big, milk chocolate eyes.

“Louis’s gonna take a look at you, pretty girl,” Harry said. “You be nice to him.”

Harry kept petting Cherry’s head and then looked over to Louis. The vet was kneeling on the ground, unlocking the briefcase he had brought. It was funny, seeing him with a shiny, clearly barely used case. Margaret had always just shoved her tools into her ancient Jansport backpack, which was covered in twenty years’ worth of coffee stains and held together with duct tape and spite.

Louis took out a pair of latex gloves and a stethoscope, then moved closer to the animal. He gave her a settle pat on her swollen side, then put the stethoscope’s earpieces in. He set the metal diaphragm on her side, and Cherry jolted a bit, but Louis cooed at her and kept petting her side as he listened. He closed his eyes and nodded a bit as he moved the cold metal over her stomach, humming softly to himself.

Harry watched Louis carefully touch and examine Cherry, the young man’s hands gentle but sure as he did his job. Harry had had his hesitations before Louis arrived. But he seemed at home, and like he really cared about doing a good job. Harry could appreciate that. He had spent years building up trust with Margaret to work with his animals, but, maybe he was just getting sentimental at his age, or Louis really did have a special touch, but he immediately felt just fine with the younger man taking care of his herd.

After a few minutes Louis opened his eyes and ducked his head down, examining Cherry’s udders and nether regions. Finally, he lifted his head and pulled himself up, taking the stethoscope out of his ears and draping it around his neck.

“Well, she looks great,” Louis said as he peeled off his gloves and shoved them into his jacket pocket. “The calf’s got a nice, strong heartbeat. She seems about a couple weeks away, but just keep an eye on her – “

“Early labor, yeah,” Harry said. “I always start preparing at least a couple weeks in advance of the due date, anyways. My girl Caroline went into labor a couple years ago, fuckin’ 16 days before she was due, and I was in Austin for the weekend. Only time I left the house in months, and she picked that weekend.”

One of the white cows in the pasture mooed loudly, and Harry looked over his shoulder and glared.

“Yeah, I’m talkin’ about you, fuckin’ drama queen,” he scoffed. “She’s a good girl. And a tough one. Had a delivery all by herself and nearly gave me a heart attack when I got home and there was a new baby toddling around.”

He turned back to Louis, offering an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, don’t mean to bore you with farm stories right off the bat.”

“It’s okay,” Louis said. “I love to hear animal stories.”

“Well, let me know in a few months if you’re sick of cow stories. That’s nearly the only kind of stories we have in this town.”

Louis just laughed and lifted his hand, shifting his glasses up his nose.

“Would you show me to Goldie, please? Just to see how her early stages are going.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Harry said. “Goldie’s in the small barn, come on.”

[daydreaming-jessi]

Do u have any headcannons for the netherworld ensemble????

OH BOY DO I!!!

Ok so first off, Miss Argentina and Toaster Lady are wives, and I will not be taking any criticism thanks. Miss Argentina could honestly lead the whole department on her own, she’s VERY good at her job and wrangling people together to do tasks. If only Juno could see her capabilities and learned how to share her job. Argentina may be loud and brusque, hurrying to get her job done before things get backed up, but she is VERY kind, as we saw when she tried to convince Lydia to go home. She gained a new respect of life, and deeply regrets throwing hers away so carelessly. She’s also probably been around the netherworld the longest in the department, the only one that could beat her time is shrunken head guy, but he doesn’t remember exactly when he died, so Argentina gets the claim.

Shrunken head guy is no longer able to verbally communicate, and nowadays relies on sign language to get his message across. He’s in charge of security for the NCP department, as he was once the guy people went to when they wanted protection and a guide on their research trips to more remote locations of the world, but he’s kind of a big teddy bear. He was going to be a grandfather before he died, and deeply regrets going on a trip to Africa before seeing the birth of his grandkid. He doesn’t necessarily blame the people responsible for his death, the group he was with was trespassing on their land, but it still hurts to think about. He doesn’t really talk about himself, so few people know he even had a family, and it really is a shame, he has a lot of cool stories from all over the world.

I see toaster lady as someone shy and anxious, (thus why I call her shyanne, very clever me) and that she went through a very rough point in her life, leading her to suicide. She was never one for spooks, but now she is in the netherworld, land of creepy things, working in a towel (and a swimsuit I’m not CRUEL). It’s forced her to gain some confidence. She’s still very sweet, and acts very caring towards newly deads, when she’s not busy answering and connecting calls as the department’s secretary. Her coworkers tend to get very defensive for her, but she’s more than capable of giving someone a stern talking to if she thinks they’re doing something unfair.

Burned cigar man was actually a big business man before he died. What was his business? No one remembers. He acts like it was a big important thing, but it was one of those big important things you don’t really think about so no one really gets it and whenever he talks about his old job people get a glaze over their eyes and he ends up slinking off into a corner to sulk, chewing on his cigar grouchily because kids these days don’t respect business. He left behind a wife when he died, which he regrets very much. He didn’t die at home, thankfully, he died in a hotel on a business trip. Funny enough his doctor told him to cut back on smoking cigars, that they’d be the death of him. It’s a hilarious irony to him. He acts grouchy, but he does care, he’s just sweltering 24/7 due to his death u-u

Parachute Man used to be quite the thrill chaser. He was pretty used to sky diving, and got a bit too egotistical about it. He jumped off the plane before it was safe, and basically got beaten into a pulp by the trees. When he came to, he was standing next to his body, and had one second to get his bearings before a sandworm noticed a tasty ghost treat just standing around. He booked it, leaving behind his body and handbook with no idea of what was going on. He had a pretty rough time until a guide saved his hide and brought him to the netherworld. He now has a phobia of sandworms, and nearly faints just at the sight of black and white stripes. The jockey has had to apologize many times for causing him to pass out. His ego took a beating from the entire thing, and having to carry his parachute around or end up tripping on it keeps him from getting too cocky again. But there’s still a part of him that just craves adrenaline. A hard thing to come by in the Netherworld, surprisingly enough.

The Groom is still in denial about his death. He swears he loved his fiancé, he just had a moment of weakness! Had he been stronger he’d be alive and married to the love of his life. It’s pretty obvious that he wasn’t ready for marriage, or was even mature enough yet for such a commitment. He doesn’t like to talk about his beloved, for as much as he waxes poetics about the tragic end of their relationship, and gets pretty fed up with some of the antics younger workers in the department. The fireworks guy loves to tease him and rile him up. He likes to put on an act, that’s he’s all grand and wise, but really he’s just a 24 year old guy who hadn’t figured out his life yet, like most people his age. His ego won’t allow for that truth to come out though. He’s unofficially training under Miss Argentina to be a receptionist, and she likes him well enough, but she knows that he tends to take on more than he can handle if only to pretend that he knows what he’s doing. She won’t let him take over her job until he’s good and ready for it, lest he has a breakdown and the system backs up.

The exploded guy is the second youngest in the department, being only 19. Before he died, he was working at his uncle’s garage, saving up for college. He wanted to become an English teacher, he loved working with kids, having wrangled his cousins so much at family gatherings, and loved putting sentences together and breaking down the intent of writers and figuring out the symbolism of their works. He knows a lot about fixing things from his old job, and thus is in charge of keeping the department’s infrastructure up and running. He doesn’t mind it, he gets to explore all the nooks and crannies of the netherworld, and has had lots of fun adventures. He and the jockey are best friends, both love to pull pranks on the others, and lend each other a shoulder to cry on when they think about how much they didn’t get to do with their lives.

The jockey had spent her whole life working on becoming a horse jockey, even when people told her to give up. She dreamed of riding horses her whole life, since she grew up on a ranch. There aren’t a lot of female jockeys, but she worked hard to try and change that. Unfortunately she pushed her luck, whipped a thoroughbred, and ended up in the netherworld. Now she spends her days as a desk jockey, oh joy. She often finds herself bored and wanting to do SOMETHING, rather than the same boring routine of processing newlydeads into the netherworld, and so often goes out seeking trouble with exploded guy and parachute man on quite a few occasions. She’s used to people trying to belittle her, and isn’t afraid of getting right back in their faces and even using her whip if she has to. Being a jockey means she’s kind of a powerhouse. Racing horses is no easy job! People might underestimate her because she’s short and appears petite, but she can very easily flip you over should she want to.

There’s a whole team of college football players working as security in the netherworld, but three in particular work under shrunken head guy in the NCP department. They’re best friends, and when together, they become the stereotypical jock type you expect, they kind of just toss their brain cells away when they all hang out. But when separated their actual personalities shine through. There’s the one I call Vinny, the fullback, who wears a helmet to hide that he kind of lost a lot of his lower jaw, retaining only the bottom jawbone. When he speaks its a lot of clattering. People act like they understand him, and maybe they do? He’s the wisest of the three, being the oldest, and tends to keep an eye out for his boys, sort of acting like a mother hen to them, especially the youngest of the three, Carl. Carl, the running back, is actually a pretty good kid, being the youngest in the department at 18. He’s kind of quiet and meek, not really one to stand up for himself, and tends to do what people tell him too. It’s why he so recklessly follows his teammates around. If he’s not with his team, he’s usually around the younger workers of the department, usually the jockey and exploded guy. Then there’s Don, the quarterback. He’s the leader of the trio, and is pretty much stuck in his college frat mindset even though he was about to graduate college, and acting like the stereotypical jock bully. He likes to think of himself as a big alpha macho man, but he’s pretty sensitive of his friends, and will knock some heads together if someone tries to hurt them. He respects his elders, but everyone else is fair game to his peacocking. He tends to butt heads with a lot of the younger workers of the department, and ends up receiving the wrath of jockey and exploded guy’s pranks a lot.

There’s the general head canons I have for the netherworld ensemble, took a sec to write haha ^^ Thanks for the chance to ramble, anon! I’m more than happy to ramble even more if ya’ll have more questions

[whereistheonepiece]

So @lesbian-space-ranger​ and I accidentally created a new Zosan AU that we’ve been talking about since last night. A note: half of this is me summarizing, half of it is pulled directly from Discord because Cas (lesbian-space-ranger) has such great ideas.

This is a long post. I don’t feel like putting it under a read more. So. Enjoy. Or keep scrolling. Either works.

So this post happened

These roles just came to me. Didn’t need to give it much thought because Sanji has the appearance and demeanor of a lead singer and I like the idea of him using his skilled hands to play piano at the same time.

I also watched the movie Rocketman earlier in the week. You know, that Elton John biopic. I adored it and it’s been heavy on my mind lately and I liked the idea of Sanji giving a high energy performance from the piano. (Sir Elton John’s music comes into play later.)

And as for Zoro, I find the bass and/or the beat the sexiest part of the music in a song and, naturally, I can see him rocking at either.

So I asked Cas if she had any other headcanons for this AU and this thing is too good to not share.

Yeah, so Zoro and Sanji are in a boy band with Usopp and Luffy. Luffy started the band. Luffy does guitar, Zoro is on bass, Usopp is on drums, and Sanji is on keyboard and vocals.

Nami is their manager. She works them hard and has taken a 40% cut of the profits because of the guys’ naivete and inexperience. But she’s why they took off. She booked their gigs at every venue she could manage, no matter how small.

They got their big break when Nami met Vivi, who’s a talent scout for the record label Baroque Works. Nami insisted that Vivi had to see the boys perform because they’re something else and Vivi’s heard that a thousand times, but she agreed because Nami is cute. Nami and Vivi are dating. Also, re Baroque Works: Crocodile looks like a sleazy music producer, doesn’t he? So does Doflamingo.

So Sanji is the pretty one, Luffy is the funny one, Zoro is the quiet/broody one, and Usopp is the smart one.

Zoro has a lot of deals with fitness brands, but secretly finds the famous life unfulfilling. This comes back later, so keep that in your back pocket.

Robin runs their social media. She’s so good at her job, running all of their accounts and tweeting simultaneously, you’d swear she had four sets of hands. Wink.

Franky does pyrotechnics/lighting.

Brook is their stylist.

Chopper was their first real fan. He and Zoro grew up in the same neighborhood and Chopper just always idolized him. He followed them before anyone knew their names. He was their hype man, saying encouraging things like "I know you guys are gonna be great!" He believed in them even when they didn't believe in themselves.

Usopp set up their recordings before they got signed because he’s savvy. And then Chopper would sell their crappy CDs. At these tiny gigs. Like coffeehouses and stuff.

Sanji can play keyboard because his parents forced him to play piano as a kid. They had this idea that classical music would teach him discipline and make him smarter. This is how he meets Zeff. Zeff’s your typical stern instructor, but he’s the first adult to ask Sanji what he actually wants and likes. Zeff sees Sanji’s not into it so he asks him what music he likes and Sanji tells him he likes pop, so Zeff gives Sanji a more rounded education. This includes Elton John because I say so. It did inspire me to put Sanji on keyboard, after all.

But other than being Sanji’s piano instructor, Zeff becomes the one positive adult figure in young Sanji’s life and he becomes something of a mentor figure for him. Zeff has a garden and he lets Sanji work in it with him. This garden is how Sanji gets his “little eggplant” nickname. Sanji pulls an eggplant out before it’s ready and it’s so small and pitiful and Zeff won’t let him live it down. Like, Sanji keeps in touch with Zeff even into adulthood and after he makes it big and he still calls Sanji little eggplant.

Zoro and Sanji are always doing that, "Kind of flirting, not really” thing on stage.  Sanji is always like walking up to Zoro on stage and acting like he's going to kiss him but pushing him away at the last moment. And it's this huge mystery whether they're actually an item or not. This comes from Nami. Sanji and Zoro have this natural chemistry with each other that leads to speculation and Nami, knowing how boy band fan bases work, saw dollar signs. But it’s not just pragmatism on her part; she knows that one cannot simply go up to Zoro and Sanji and say “You obviously like each other. You should date.” So she makes money and helps her friends find happiness.

Usopp has speculation going on as well. People are always confused as to who he’s dating. Tabloids keep being like "Usopp dumped Nami and is now dating Luffy!" "Luffy Scorned?" "Luffy ditches Usopp and steals his girl!" And they just think the entire thing is hilarious. They collect headlines. The answer is Usopp is dating Luffy and Nami and Luffy and Nami just become really affectionate with each other after dating Usopp long enough. Also Nami is dating Vivi, like I mentioned, and sometimes Nami brings her on as a plus one. 

Sanji and Zoro keep giving conflicting answers about their relationship status. Like they'll tell one person they hate each other and another person they're gonna get married someday. Sanji has to walk this fine line of being "in love" with all of his female fans and also "in love" with Zoro. Or not. Who knows? Like Sanji enjoys the attention but he really really plays shit up for his fangirls. This makes Sanji even more popular. Just picture pages upon pages of Sanji/Reader and “Zanji” fics on Wattpad. Nami is one smart lady. "I am the smartest, prettiest, most clever person alive."

Zosan getting together really is just a bunch of Fake Dating tropes. At first it really is just to get more press for the band. Nami schemes with Usopp and Robin to push them together. Robin's a social media genius and knows how to craft tweets and Instagram posts that fans will overanalyze. 

Meanwhile eventually Zoro and Sanji admit to each other they have actual feelings and one day Usopp finds Sanji sleeping in Zoro's bed, both of them completely tuckered out. But they don’t know Nami crafted this. They just come clean and hope she won't be mad and she's like, "Yes! Finally!" and they're like "What?" and she's like, "I've been waiting for you two to realize you have actual feelings. Did you really think I'd just use you for profit like that?" and they're both like "Yes" "Of course"

Zoro’s mad at her for meddling. Secretly he’s grateful, but he doesn’t want to give her the satisfaction and he’s yelling until Sanji grabs his hand and he just calms down.

And to bring Elton John back into the picture, just picture Sanji doing a cover of “Your Song” and uploading it online and thinking about Zoro. Naturally the comments are abuzz with people speculating that he’s singing about Zoro. And like. Onstage Sanji does his rendition and sends these small glances Zoro’s way, partially because he knows it’ll get the band a lot of attention, partially because that song is sweet and beautiful and it’s such a simple way to explain his feelings. (There is a reason why Moulin Rouge included it!!) I imagine this happens before they come clean to each other. Like, Zoro comes to him and is all “I keep thinking about that song you did...” And they go from there.

And eventually the band comes to its natural end. 

Usopp goes solo and flourishes, working as a songwriter and a producer. He wrote the band’s songs and he’s had a drum kit since he was, like, ten and he can make his own beats. He’s not the singing type (though he is good at it and could reach new heights if he came out of his shell), so he’s the kind of artist who makes the beat and then gets super famous pop singers to feature on his tracks. But he also writes songs for other singers and is so good at it and produces other artists’ tracks. I also like the idea that he’s taught himself to play multiple instruments, but he prefers the drums/percussion. He totally played percussion in school and was in marching band. I was in marching band for one year. I loathed every second of it, but I know he’d be phenomenal in drum corps.

Luffy isn’t much in music anymore, but he keeps himself busy. He’s something of an influencer, the kind of celebrity who gets paid to wear fashion brands’ clothing. He’s also Usopp’s trophy husband, living off the money he made off the band. Usopp grew wise to Nami’s antics and made sure he and Luffy would live comfortably for the rest of their lives, even if Usopp were to retire. Luffy also is secretly a Buzzfeed journalist because it’s fun for him to write these hit articles and people not know it’s him because he’s writing on this super bland pseudonym. 

And then there’s Zosan. They have a falling out after the band splits and go their separate ways.

Sanji quits being a professional singer because he’s tired of the prying into his personal life, but he still mentors and/or teaches. He has a string of girlfriends and finds no fulfillment in those relationships because the women are only interested in his celebrity.

And they aren’t Zoro.

Zoro tried branching off into commercials for fitness, but his heart wasn’t in it. He kind of takes up ranching on a whim and learns that he’s really good at it. He likes the physical labor, the quiet, being away from it all, nobody knowing his name. He doesn’t pursue anyone after Sanji because he feels like if it’s meant to be, someone will appear.

And Sanji does.

Sanji finds out where Zoro is through Luffy. So he makes his way to the ranch and finds Zoro and Sanji is all “Come back. I miss you.”

And there’s just a lot of soft Zosan content during Sanji’s visit. Sanji’s always been afraid of horses, but he’s not afraid when he’s with Zoro, and Zoro teaches him they can be gentle creatures, it’s just that you just have to respect them. (Ha. Get it?) Zoro takes Sanji on a ride and they go out and he takes him up the mountain and shows him how beautiful the view is. Sanji's watching the sunset and he's like, "Damn that's the prettiest thing I've ever seen." And Zoro is looking at Sanji and he says, "It sure is." And Sanji's like, "you're not... even looking." And Zoro's like, "No, I'm looking alright. Prettiest thing I've ever seen for sure."

More soft things like Zoro taking off his cowboy hat and putting it on Sanji. Them sitting by the fire, Zoro playing acoustic while Sanji sings. Whenever people see them they’ll ask them if they’re musicians and they share a knowing smile and say “Yeah. Something like that.”

And Zoro convinces Sanji to move out there with him. The others come to visit. Luffy and Chopper are obsessed with the cows and horses and the chickens. Luffy wants, like, eight pet chickens. Usopp is skeptical. Doesn’t believe Lu can look after a pet.

And it kind of ends there. It was us going back and forth, oftentimes out of chronological order, and so here I am putting it all together because it’s too good not to share. But it was a lot of fun.

[damianosismyking]

PART VII

Part I - Part II - Part III - Part IV - Part V - Part VI

A day or two later, Damen got weird.

It was a hard-to-describe type of situation that made Laurent freak a little. His mind was happy to provide him with lots of thoughts regarding just that.

For one, he probably did something wrong, though he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

They had that too vulnerable of a conversation about things that led Laurent to the ranch; they detoured that by talking more about family than specifics of Laurent's story. They got back on track and then detoured again - and it went on and off like this for about an hour or two. They overslept. Had lazy morning sex. Damen left late for work, which was less than smart now that he was given his first case. Laurent didn't complain. Laurent was late for work too, but the others could manage the horses just fine without him there.

Something during that time must've gone wrong, maybe.

Damen texted Laurent at night to tell him they couldn't hang out because there was a lot he had to study for his case before he met his new client. Laurent's only reply was 'ok'. It was a little too dry. Maybe that made Damen upset?

For other, Laurent was meaning to leave anyway so if Damen was distant, shouldn't that make things easier? Laurent shouldn’t be so distressed.

Waking up without Damen wasn't new, and still it made something twist in the pit of Laurent's stomach.

Not getting any replies for his texts did not help.

Damen seeming so distant on the other side of the line when Laurent called during lunch was upsetting. Damen hanging up abruptly was even worse.

It was an ego thing.

It probably was an ego thing.

Laurent always had a thing with ego.

Probably.

And it was a stupid thing to get worked up over. Laurent didn't have to make it serious.

On the first day, Laurent focused on his job, since that’s what he was meant to be doing, instead of thinking about his boss. Feeding the horses, changing their water, calling the Vet to come check on them. Three horses were almost late on the vaccines and one needed deworming. Paschal would come in a few days to check on them. Then Laurent and two others took them to walk around, freeing them on the pasture. Gather them back on the stalls.

After that Laurent himself was off for a long ride around the ranch and farther until he began to worry it would soon be too dark to come back safely.

On the second day something Laurent surely had not expected was to see Damen with some girl.

Some girl with long black hair braided over her shoulder. Some girl with a stunning face and huge eyes and freckles, and that strutted. She strutted. Some girl that laughed like she was singing. Some girl that Damen was laughing back to, the way he only ever laughed with a few close people. The way that he laughed when he was with Nikandros, and Kastor and Jokaste (before they cheated). The way that he laughed when he was with Laurent.

They disappeared in the main house and didn’t reemerge from there. Eventually it got too late and Laurent was too tired to wait up and see when she’d be leaving.

On the third day, Laurent came up with a speech and then mastered said speech that he would give to Damen and his family - as a whole, not separated parts - thanking them for so many years of kindness. He couldn't bear speaking to Damen privately. Not that Laurent was the crying type, but he might cry anyway. Emotions. Laurent hated them.

There were the speeches for the horses too - and those were individual. One to each. The biggest and most heart-felt to his own horse. It was the right thing to do.

Also on the third day, Damen opted for undermining all of Laurent's plans by showing up without previous notice to Laurent's room just before nine, looking serious and stiff like Laurent’s never seen him be. Damen tried for a smile, but it became obvious then and there that this conversation would be better if they didn’t try to pull niceties.

Straight to the point. Just business and such.

Laurent couldn't help but feeling small though. And helpless, and wrong, and guilty about something he didn't even know what. He has felt like this before - though the circumstances had been so different then.

Guilt was a constant in Laurent’s life when he arrived at the ranch. Guilty for escaping. Guilty for not letting Auguste know he was okay. Guilty for accepting all of those nice things that Egeria offered to do for him. Guilty.

The way Laurent felt guilty then was like how he was feeling guilty now. It was irrational and yet too goddamn real, despite him not having done anything to deserve that.

"We need to talk," was the first thing Damen said, his voice too deep to suggest anything other than that he wasn't in the mood for jokes.

Laurent gulped. "We do."

Damen frowned, as though not expecting that Laurent would say anything. Like Laurent was supposed to stay quiet and mop as Damen broke things up between them. "Go first then," Damen settled on the bed.

"Okay," Laurent walked to his desk and back, settling beside Damen, close enough that he could reach, but far enough that they would not bump.

Laurent offered the methodically folded piece of paper to Damen and waited for Damen to take his own conclusions of it. When it took longer than a minute, Laurent decided to verbalize, "I would like to offer you my resignation. I am immensely grateful for all that you and your family have done for me over the course of the years; I can't stress enough how -"

"What -" Damen interrupted "What is this? What the fuck, Laurent?" Damen held up the letter as though he had been personally offended by it.

Laurent drew a deep breath. "As I was saying - I am all too thankful for all the kindness you have shown me for so, so long. In my heart I will never forget all of this and I promise I will remain grateful to the day I die, but I feel like I overstayed my welcome. I know it might come as a shock, but right now I want to do more with my life. Something to give me an actual future. I hope you and your family won't take it as an offense, I will talk to Theomedes before I -"

"Are you shitting me?" Damen's expression grew more outraged the more Laurent spoke; he was already on his feet "That's it? You’re going to leave? You're breaking up with me with a fucking resignation letter and a formal speech?" Damen threw the letter to the ground "A goddamn speech?"

Laurent shifted, trying to appear unaffected. "I know the nature of our relationship was more intimate and I appreciate the special attention over the past few months. But, yes, I would like to leave."

Damen blinked, in chock. He had his hands on his hips which should be funny, except it wasn't. Damen lowered his tone, considering something before he said, "Is it because of the breakfast? Because if it is, Laurent, I promise I will never put you in that position again, I wasn't thinking. You don’t have to leave I’ll -"

"It's not because of the breakfast, Damianos" Laurent interrupted this time "I just want to be something more. To become someone. And I’m well aware of our situation" he gestured between them "and how things couldn't go forward."

“You can do everything you want. You don’t have to go away. Or you can go away, if you want to not be here anymore. I can help you, with college and finding a place to live wherever you want, just let me -”

“I have my own money that I saved, thank you. I don’t want your money. I don’t need it.”

“Laurent -”

“I would like,” Laurent’s tone was more incisive, firm “To de dismissed. Please.”

"Holy -" Damen turned his back, running his hands down his face.

There was silence and Laurent didn't want to think about it, or anything at all. He wanted this conversation to be over, so they could be over, and Laurent could be alone. By Damen's reaction he wasn't thrilled Laurent beat him to breaking up. Was Damen not used to being broken up to? Was this a first for him? No. Laurent knew for a fact this wasn't the case.

There had been Jokaste before him - and breaking up by cheating on him with his brother must've been a little worse than a letter of resignation. Though the letter shouldn't be too far behind. Laurent just didn't expect Damen to care so much. Maybe that was him not caring so much. Laurent would love it if his head would stop spinning and if Damen said something already.

"I, of course, fully intend to complete my notice and help you find a suitable person to fill my spot," Laurent said, in the quiet, when Damen still didn’t speak.

Damen huffed. "That's really nice of you, thank you," he said, voice carried in irony "I should’ve known. God, how am I this stupid?"

"Huh?"

Laurent wished Damen would turn around; watching his back was unsettling.

"Why am I always this stupid?" Damen said, not louder, "Nikandros told me this was going to happen and I - I didn't listen. Why did I not listen?"

"Are you talking to yourself?"

Damen just kept rubbing his hands over his face and mumbling. "You could have told me,” Damen’s voice was internalized, like he was half swallowing the words, but at last he was talking to Laurent “If you didn’t want... You could’ve told me before – you could’ve told me sooner.”

“Told you what, Damianos?” Laurent was still rock-solid on the outside.

“That you didn’t want things to get serious,” Damen took a sharp breath before finally turning and fixing his eyes on Laurent's “Didn’t want things to go forward. That you wanted us to remain casual.”

Laurent frowned. "We were casual," They were casual. Weren’t they casual?

Damen closed his eyes, pained. "I got that part, thanks," Damen leaned against the wall, resting his head on the wood panel.

More silence. "We were casual," Laurent whispered.

It did not make any sense. None of it.

"So," Laurent gulped, words outwards again "You didn't come here to end things between us?"

Damen smiled like it cost him greatly to do so. After, he shook his head. "No.”

Well, fuck.

Laurent was considerably less stable. "What were you here for then?"

Damen's jaw tensed. He looked to his boots, not Laurent. Laurent almost thought Damen wouldn't say anything until, "I met your brother."

The words floated before they could sink and once they did, Laurent found out he wouldn't be able to breath any time soon. "You what?"

"He is my client," Damen explained, "He has lawsuit against your uncle. There are evidences that your uncle interfered on the process of your custody, stole your family's money and properties. They've been fighting in court for years now and Auguste is out of resources to pay the fees and lawyers, so he signed up for the pro-bono."

Damen, much more in control of himself now, pushed away from the wall and bent to catch the letter he had thrown to the ground "I thought of breaking attorney and client privilege to let you know," his voice was cutting, bitter. Damen raised the letter again, like he's done earlier, but this time he refused to look at Laurent "I'll have the others know you're leaving. We will hire someone to replace you by the end of the week. Don’t worry about the notice, you’re free to go."

On his way out, Damen was gentle to close the door, leaving Laurent alone with his pounding heart and a full head.

__

NEXT>>

Read it on AO3!

[dolcetters]

anonymous said: what inspired you to develop dol's past (pre-military/fifth lab) the way you have?

•••

anon, i am just gonna make you a warm or cold beverage of your choosing because i got so excited about this question you wouldn’t even believe--

it was a mix of inspirations and things! and definitely developed over two or three years time. i’m not gonna talk about them in a particular order ( because it’d take me too long to organize them in my brain sphere ) so i’ll just break it down... however it comes out lmfao. 

i DO think one of the first pieces was literally googling dol’s name ( the one i was first introduced to, so ‘dolcetto’ and not ‘dorochet’ or ‘dorochette’ or ‘doaohhgsishghette’--that last one is me being sassy ) to see if it had a meaning... because i’m a symbolism loving BITCH and every single one of my own characters has their name for a reason, so i wanted to see if his had any significance. AND IT DID??? i think other people have caught on to this ( i’ve seen a post or two mentioning it in his tag ) but his name translates to “sweet little one” from italian. and branching off of THAT, i ... vaguely remember seeing a post when i started in this fandom about how if amestris was supposed to be germany then the other surrounding countries were this, that, and the other. aerugio was connected to italy. and that’s kinda where dol being amestrian/aerugian came from--aerugian on his mother’s side. i saw him having a very close, strong bond with his mother, and since he was their first born she gave him the aerugian name that ... represented what he was to her. her sweet little one. <3 

and what’s actually really funny ( and kind of sad ) is that dolcetto wine is super bitter. it’s not sweet. so... dol eventually became... jaded and bitter. because life. funny, that. 

the universe has a sense of humor. 

the farming aspect... --i think came after i assigned him a birthday.

one of the ways i go about giving characters ( my own or canon characters lacking an official one ) a birthday is by narrowing down which zodiac sun-sign best matches their personality. then i select a month and a date--sometimes a bit more specific, sometimes a bit more “what just feels right”. capricorns are known for being realistic, workaholics, ambitious, relentless, and practical--all things i felt lined up with dol. and, having worked with horses/volunteered on ranches for 10+ years of my own life, i knew there was ALLLLWAYS work to be done. and the concept of dol growing up in the city never really vibed? with me? maybe it was the pipe or how he seemed to prefer perching on things ( a crate ; lying on a building roof while martel and roa stood on the ground like normal people ). he’s a climber? grew up climbing trees? you’re more likely to find trees where there’s open land? HEY, farming’s cool! ( also i know 14 years in the labs would have malnourished the SHIT out of him but like u think u get muscles like that just sittin’ around no son he was built before he stepped foot in the military academy like you ever had to lean into a draft horse and yank its leg off the ground to pull a rock out of its hoof when you’re only 5′ like do you even LIFT, my guy )

he’s the oldest sibling partially because of his name and partially because being the eldest, myself, i’ve absolutely felt the rush of protective instinct when a family member is distressed--and you DON’T just feel it toward your siblings. you feel it for your parents, too. because you’re the oldest--you’re the first to become an adult--your parents might confide things in you, rely on you to do things--and being the oldest you feel responsible to not only be around to help your parents when they need it but if anyone fucks with your siblings, they fuck with you, too. dol’s actions--not just protecting/fighting for greed, but how he took charge in greed’s absence ( deciding to evacuate as soon as he realized they were out matched ) and put himself directly in harm’s way to save roa--just... gave me oldest sibling vibes, more than it did “loyal dog” vibes. --and as i’ve said in my chimera headcanon, i think their animal counterparts less influence their behavior and more enhance pre-existing behavior. 

and i think the rest just slowly fell into place? chris has always been the most easy-going out of the three siblings, and josephine is absolutely the baby sister who idolizes her big brothers and wants to do everything just like them but still very much has her own personalities and interests. maddy is a loving but spitfire mom and augustus is hella chill, simple, and warm. no family is perfect, but dol came from an exceptionally loving and accepting one. he misses them, their quiet little farm, the animals, and nights spent sitting on the porch listening to loons call to each other across the lake. 

i think, knowing where he winds up, i wanted to give him some semblance of peace and happiness before it all went to shit. 

...and at the same time, fuck that, he survives that shit, my boy gets the happy ending he deserves, and it takes a while but he’ll heal and--look--rose is right over there making the eyes at you, you gotta go say hi--wait--HEY--GET BACK HERE, YOU IDIOT, DON’T MAKE ME GET SEBASTIAN IN HERE TO SING KISS THE GIRL--

[benbarnesfrustration]

Cady’s Awakening, Part 1

A Ben Barnes Character Fic.

A Ryan Brenner x Cady (third person) story. This is a very late contribution to @banditthewriter​‘s Ben Barnes Bingo Challenge.  Life got away from me for a bit, so I’m posting this first installment to hold myself accountable to finish. Enjoy!

Synopsis: Cady is a carefree girl who longs for the open road. Does she find her counterpart in a tall, dark hitchhiker?

Rated PG. We haven’t gotten into much fluff yet, but this is a squeaky clean as it gets.

Cady heaved the last sack of grain into the back of her pickup truck, landing it with a heavy whump. She stepped back and wiped a trickle of sweat from her brow. It was usually hot in Timbercreek Canyon, but in July it was damned hot, and the sun was relentless.

About 15 miles south of Amarillo, Timbercreek Canyon is a veritable oasis in the arid Texas desert, providing much-needed irrigation to the many ranches that have sprung up as a result.  Cady’s family ran one of them, Palomino Ridge Ranch. There, horses, cattle, pigs and chickens were raised and sold.  Cady had been helping out at the ranch since she could walk, and stood to inherit from her parents, as she was their only child. However, Cady had her doubts. She’d barely been out of Texas except for ranch business, and wasn’t sure she wanted a future as a rancher without experiencing more of the great wide world.

Cady’s father was sending her to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains. She was to deliver several bushels of rye meal and sorghum to a few stops along the way, and upon arrival, collect a thoroughbred stallion to bring back for breeding. It would be a long trip, at least eighteen hours each way, not including stops, but Cady was looking forward to it. She loved the open road and the chance to get out of Texas and see more of the country, and having the wind in her hair as she sang along loudly to her favorite country and blues standards.

She loaded up the rest of her supplies, waved goodbye to her folks, and set out. It was only noon, so she should be able to get a couple of deliveries out of the way before she would need to stop for the night. She drove along, singing and humming along to her tunes; perfectly content.  A few hours later, not long after she made her first drop off, she was surprised to see what appeared to be a young man in the distance, walking along the road. Texas was flat, so she could see him quite a ways out, and she saw him turn and stick out his thumb when he heard the sound of her engine. I’ll be damned, she thought to herself. You don’t see too many hitchhikers around here. She felt a pang of pity for the man. It was hot as hell out here, and there wasn’t another town for miles and miles.  Normally she wouldn’t entertain such a notion as communicating with a hitchhiker, but she legitimately worried about the guy’s safety, so she slowed as she approached him. 

She pulled over to the side of the road, slid over to the passenger side, and leaned out of the window.  She was struck dumb for a moment when she looked the man full in the face. Well that is one good looking fella, she thought. Dark scruffy hair and dark eyes, he was quite literally the definition of “tall dark and handsome,” only he looked like he’d been sleeping rough for a while. He smiled warmly at her, and pushed up the brim of his baseball cap to better see her. Cady noticed he had tattoos on his fingers and arms. I wonder where else he’s got them, she thought devilishly, before pushing that thought aside.  “Miss,” he greeted her politely.

“Well you’re taking your ass in your hands setting out on this road on a day like this,” she chided, but without real bite. He smiled wider, relaxing at her joke.

“I’m afraid I didn’t think this through,” he replied, his smile touching his eyes. He had a vague drawl that Cady couldn’t quite place. Is that West Virginia? Kentucky? He pulled off his hat and swiped his forearm across his sweaty brow. “I don’t suppose you can let me climb in the back of your truck and ride along with you a while? The breeze would do me good.”

Cady thought a moment. She was by no means a clueless girl, and knew that picking up a hitchhiker was a reckless thing to do. But he had kindness in his eyes, and there was just no faking that. “You can ride in the cab with me,” she said. “Get you out of the sun and into the AC for a bit.”

The man nodded, his face more somber. “Thank you miss,” he replied softly. “I’m so grateful.”  He swung his case– which Cady was only now realizing was a guitar case– into the back of the truck along with a worn backpack, and hopped into the truck. Cady cranked the AC, and the man slumped back, a blissful smile on his lips. It made him look quite angelic. “Ahhhh,” the man sighed. “This is nice.”

Cady handed over a bottle of water. “Here, swig on this. You’re probably pretty dehydrated. I’m Cady, by the way.”  The man took the bottle of water with a nod. “Thank you Cady. I’m Ryan. Pleased to meet you.”  Cady smiled at the man– Ryan.  “Now you just sit back and relax,” she said. “How far do you need to go?”  Ryan shrugged. “I don’t really have a destination. I sort of just…go.”

Cady blinked in surprise. Was this guy a drifter? A homeless? While she was surprised, she was no more concerned than she was a moment before. She wondered if she was being very stupid.  

“You just set out and see where the road takes you huh? I kinda like that. Sounds freeing.”

Ryan smiled. “It is, but it’s not without its challenges for sure. Like the pickle I found myself in today…I must say thank you again.”

Cady smiled. “Think nothing of it. I would just be grateful if you would repay my kindness by not stabbing me,” she laughed as she put the truck into gear. “You don’t seem the sort, but you never know.”  

Ryan laughed in return. “Don’t worry Cady, I don’t intend to.”

                                                      *****

They rode on for hours, the time falling away quickly as they talked. Conversation was easy with them. They shared a similar temperament; an ease of manner, and a curiosity about the world. Cady learned that Ryan was a musician, and he usually busked or looked for gigs while he was on the road for extra cash. Cady told Ryan all about her family and ranching, but also spoke of her doubts when it came to her own future in the field. Ryan listened intently, nodding along, contributing platitudes where necessary.  As the sun waned toward evening, Cady pulled into a Waffle House parking lot.  “You hungry?” She asked.

“Starving,” he replied with a smile.  

“Come on then,” Cady said. “I’ll buy you some dinner.”

Ryan’s smile faltered. “I have some money,” he said softly. 

Cady turned to look at him. “I wasn’t suggesting you didn’t,” she replied brightly. “Only that I’d like to buy dinner. Now come on!”

Ryan followed her into the restaurant, where they both soon tucked into breakfast for dinner, as it was what Waffle House was known for; eggs, pancakes, grits, hash browns, bacon, the whole nine yards. They spoke as much as they could as they tucked away the meal.  When they were done, Cady and Ryan walked back to the truck. She paused at the door. “Ryan,” she asked, “what’s the plan? I’m heading all the way to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and I have another ten plus hours on the road ahead of me. I was planning to stop for the night in a couple of hours. I usually just pull off onto a secluded road and sleep in the truck, but you’re welcome to sleep in the back of the truck.

Cady felt a small amount of apprehension creep into her mind. Not because she was worried about Ryan, but because….she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. But Ryan gave her a funny feeling in the pit of her tummy. The way his big dark eyes locked onto hers while they spoke over dinner. The way his smile lit up his face. The way his soul seemed to speak to hers.

She realized with a jolt that the apprehension she was feeling was a fear that they would part ways. That he would be gone from her life. Oh shit– Cady thought to herself. Am I falling for this guy? 

She waited for him to respond, as he had paused to think– or perhaps to calculate a response.

“Cady–” he started, paused, then started over. “Cady, I don’t want to impose, but I’d like to go all the way with you.”

They both seemed to realize how that sounded at the same time. Cady stifled a giggle while Ryan looked horrified. “I mean! Oh lord. No. I mean, I’d like to travel as far as you have to go, if that’s alright with you.” He put his face in his hands and groaned.  Cady laughed. “Relax, I’d be happy to have you.” She put a hand on his arm. “I know that wasn’t what you meant.” 

Would it be so bad if it was?

                                                      *****

They rode on in contented silence for a while before Cady turned to Ryan and asked, “so I’ve been trying to figure out where you’re from, but I just can’t place your accent. I give up,” she chuckled.

“Utah,” Ryan replied. “That’s where I grew up and sort of what I consider home base, but I don’t like to stay in one place too long.”

“Do you still have friends and family there?”

“Some,” Ryan nodded. “A lot of folks have moved on. I’m from a small town and there isn’t much opportunity there.” He shrugged. “It’s beautiful though, surrounded by snow capped mountains and lush forests.”

Cady laughed. “That’s basically the opposite of where I live! It’s the canyonlands of central Texas, practically the desert. Hot, flat, and dry. I spent my childhood chasing lizards and roadrunners.”

“Well we have some of that in Utah, but not the part where I’m from,” Ryan added. “Jumping into creeks and riding horses was what I got up to as a kid.”

“Horses, well that’s something we have in common then,” Cady grinned.  “That’s actually the purpose of going to Kentucky. Sell grain along the way, come home with a new thoroughbred.”

“That must be exciting,” Ryan replied. “Seeing the country and petting horses sounds pretty great.”

“It is, but–” Cady broke off, thinking.  “I’m still doing a job. I’m not free to do as I like. Like you.”

“True,” Ryan said, “but it’d be nice to have someone to go home to. A real family, a place I wanted to put down roots. Now, whenever I’m home, I just can’t wait to hit the road again.”

“So you have nobody that makes you feel like you’re home?”

Ryan turned to fix Cady with his dark eyes. There was something about his spirit that spoke directly to her soul.

“Not yet,” he replied, and smiled.

(to be continued…)

@banditthewriter​

[dumbledearme]

chapter thirty-one—love never dies

read Child of Land and Sea here

Act IV — To Stop The Tide

Part VI — I was so afraid, now I realize: love is never wrong and so it never dies.

The big ranch house was white. “Don’t break the rules,” Eurytion warned. “No fighting. No drawing weapons. And don’t make any comments about the boss’s appearance.”

“Why?” Andy asked. “What does he looks like?”

Before Eurytion could reply, a new voice said, “Welcome to the Triple G Ranch.” The man on the porch had a normal head but three bodies. His neck connected to the middle chest like normal, but he had two more chests, one to either side, connected at the shoulders, with a few inches in between. His left arm grew out of his left chest, and the same on the right, so he had two arms, but four armpits. The chests all connected into one enormous torso, with two regular but very beefy legs.

“Say hello to Mr Geryon,” Eurytion advised.

“Hello,” the four of them said together.

Eurytion made the introductions. Then Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch. "Geryon, I won't wait for-" he froze when he saw them. Then he drew his sword.

"Put that away, Mr di Angelo," Geryon snarled. "I ain't gonna have my guests killing each other."

"But that's-"

"Andy Jackson," Geryon supplied. "Anthony Chase. And a couple of their monster friends. Yes, I know."

"Monster friends?" Grover said indignantly.

"The man is wearing three shirts," Tyson only then realized.

"They let Bianca die!" Nico's voice trembled with rage.

"Nico," Andy tried to apologize, "what happened to Bianca was-"

"Don't speak her name! You aren't worthy to even talk about her!"

"Just put the sword away, Mr di Angelo, before I have Eurytion take it from you."

Reluctantly, Nico sheathed his sword. "If you come near me, Jackson, I'll summon help. You don't want to meet my helpers, I promise."

"I believe you," she whispered.

Geryon patted Nico's shoulder. "There, we've all made nice. Now come along, folks. I want to give you a tour of the ranch." He had a trolley thing – like one of those kiddie trains that take you around zoos. Nico sat in the very back with Eurytion beside him. Orthus jumped in the front seat with Geryon. Anthony, Andy, Grover and Tyson took the middle two cars. "We have a huge operation," Geryon boasted as the moo-mobile lurched forward. "Horses and cattle mostly, but all sorts of exotic varieties, too."

They came over a hill and Anthony gasped. "Hippalektryons? I thought they were extinct!" The animals had the front half of a horse and the back half of a rooster. Their rear feet were huge yellow claws. They had feathery tails and red wings.

"Rooster ponies," Tyson said. "Do they lay eggs?"

"Once a year," Geryon grinned. "Very much in demand for omelettes!"

"You can't do that!" Anthony said. "They must be an endangered species!"

"Gold is gold, Mr Chase," he said. "And you haven't tasted the omelettes."

"That's not right," Grover mumbled.

"Now, over here," said Geryon, "we have our fire-breathing horses, which you may have seen on your way in. They're bred for way, naturally."

"What war?" Andy asked.

"Any war," Geryon shrugged. "And over yonder, of course, are our prize red cows. Apollo is busy to see them, so he subcontracts to us. We breed them vigorously because they're such a demand."

"For what?" Andy asked.

Geryon raised an eyebrow. "Meat, Miss Jackson! Armies have to eat!"

"You kill the sacred cows of the sun god for hamburger meat?" Grover said. "That's against the ancient laws!"

"Oh, don't get so worked up, young satyr. They're just animals."

"Just animals!"

"Yes. And if Apollo cared, I'm sure he would tell us."

"If he knew, you mean," Andy muttered.

Nico sat forward. "I don't care about any of this, Geryon. We had business to discuss, and this wasn't it!"

"All in good time, Mr di Angelo. Look over here; some of my exotic game." The next field was crawling with giant scorpions. "And over here, my prize stables! You must see them!"

About a hundred horses were milling around in poop. The horses were really gross from wading through it, and the stables were just as bad. It reeked like you would not believe. Even Nico gagged. "What is that?"

"My stables!" Geryon presented. "Well, actually, they belong to Aegeas, but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren't they lovely?"

"They're disgusting," Anthony said.

"Lots of poop," Tyson observed.

"How can you keep animals like that?" Grover cried.

"Y'all getting on my nerves," Geryon said. "These are flesh-eating horses, see? They like these conditions. Besides, my clients still pay me well for this."

"What clients?" Andy demanded.

"Oh, you'd be surprised how many people will pay for a flesh-eating horse. They make great garbage disposals. Wonderful way to terrify your enemies. Great at birthday parties! We rent them out all the time."

"You're a monster," Anthony decided.

Geryon stopped the trolley. "What gave it away? Was it the three bodies?"

"You have to let these animals go," Grover said. "It's not right."

"And the clients," Anthony said, "you work for Kronos, don't you? You're supplying his army with whatever they need."

Geryon shrugged. "I worked for anyone who pays me. I'm a businessman. I sell whatever I have to offer." He climbed out of the trolley.

Nico went after him. "I came here for business and you haven't answered me."

"Fine. You'll get a deal, all right."

"My ghost told me you could help. He said you could guide us to the soul we need."

"I thought I was the soul you wanted," Andy asked.

Nico glanced at her, disgusted. "Why would I want you, Jackson? Bianca's soul is worth a thousand of yours! Now, can you help me, Geryon, or not?"

"Oh, I imagine, I could," the rancher said. "But, pray, tell me. Where is your ghost?"

Nico looked uneasy. "He can't form in broad daylight. It's hard for him. But he's around."

Geryon smiled. "I'm sure. Minos likes to disappear when things get... difficult."

"Minos?" Andy exclaimed. "That evil king? That's the one telling you what to do?"

"None of your business, Jackson!" Nico said. "Geryon, what do you mean about things getting difficult?"

Geryon sighed. "You see, Mr di Angelo, Mr Castellan is offering very good money for half-bloods. And I'm sure when he learns who you really are, he'll pay very, very well indeed."

Nico drew his sword, but Geryon knocked it out of his hand. Before Andy could get up, Orthus pounced on her chest and growled.

"Nobody moves or Orthus will tear Miss Jackson's throat out," Geryon warned. "Now, Eurytion, if you'd be so kind, secure Mr di Angelo." Eurytion wrapped one huge arm around Nico and lifted him up like a wrestler. "Pick up the sword, too," Geryon ordered. "There's nothing I hate worse than Stygian iron. Now, we've had the tour. Let's go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army."

"Get Orthus to back off," Anthony told him.

"Don't worry, Mr Chase. Once I've delivered Mr di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don't interfere with quests. Besides, I've been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not, I'm afraid, include Mr di Angelo."

"Paid by whom?" Anthony asked. "What do you mean?"

"Never you mind. Let's be off, shall we?"

"Wait!" Andy cried and Orthus growled louder. She tried not to move. She needed a plan. She needed to keep Nico safe. She owed him that much. "Geryon, you said you're a businessman. Make me a deal."

Geryon narrowed his eyes. "What sort of deal? Do you have gold?"

"I've got some even better. Barter."

"Miss Jackson, you've got nothing."

"You could have her clean the stables," Eurytion suggested.

"Yes!" Andy exclaimed. "I'll do it! I'll do anything, really!"

"But the horses might eat ya," Geryon observed.

"I don't care! If I fail, you can just... you get to trade us all to Luke for gold, I guess. But- But if I succeed, you've got to let us go, including Nico."

"No!" Nico screamed. "Don't do me any favors, Jackson. I don't want your help!"

Geryon chuckled. "I think not." Eurytion gave Andy a funny look. He whistled and Orthus got off of her. "What are you doing?" Geryon asked. Andy got up and drew her sword. "Eurytion, kill the girl. Now."

Eurytion studied Andy. "Kill her yourself."

Geryon raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Eurytion grumbled. "You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason. I'm tired of dying for you. You want to fight the girl, do it yourself."

Geryon spat on the ground. "You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!"

"And who'd take care of your cattle?"

"Fine!" Geryon snarled. "I'll deal with you later, after the demigod is dead!" He unsheathed two knives from his extra-large belt and threw them at Andy. She dodged one and deflected the other with her sword.

Andy attacked. Geryon dodged her first strike, but he wasn't much of a fighter. Andy got inside his next thrust and stabbed him right through the middle chest. "Aghhh!" He crumbled to his knees. Then he grinned and stood up. The wound started to heal.

"Nice try, child of land and sea," he said. "Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system." Geryon was about to attack her when he froze. Anthony had moved so fast Andy hadn't see him. He had thrown his knife into the side of Geryon's right chest. It had gone through each o his chests and flown out his left side.

Geryon's face turned a sickly shade of green. He collapsed to his knees and began crumbling into sand, until there was nothing left of him.

"Cool," Andy said, but Anthony looked extremely miserable. He picked up his knife without a word and avoided looking at her. Andy glanced at Eurytion who didn't seem upset at all. "How long until he re-forms?"

Eurytion shrugged. "Hundred years? He's not one of those fast re-formers, thank the gods."

"You said you'd died for him before. How?"

"I've worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. Now I'm stuck here at this ranch. I can't leave. I can't quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon's fights. We're kinda tied together."

"Maybe you can change things," she told him. "Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. And stop dealing with the Titans. Get the animals on your side, and maybe they'll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he'll be working for you."

Eurytion grinned. "That would be worth being alive to see."

Andy turned to Nico. "Maybe you should stay here until we're done with our quest. You'd be safe here."

"Safe?" Nico scowled. "What do you care if I'm safe? You got my sister killed!"

"Nico," Anthony said, and he sounded strangely tired. "That wasn't Andy's fault. And Geryon wasn't lying about Kronos wanting you. If he knew who you were, he'd do anything to get you on his side."

"I'm not on anyone's side. Nor will I ever be. Everyone I've ever loved let me down."

"Your sister wouldn't want-"

"You didn't know my sister! And if you cared about her at all, you'd help me bring her back!"

"A soul for a soul?" Andy asked.

"Yes!"

Andy shook her head. "Bianca wouldn't want to be brought back. Not like that."

"You didn't know her!"

"Let's ask her then," Andy suggested and the sky seemed to grow darker.

"I've tried," Nico said miserably. "She won't answer me."

"But she will answer me."

"Why would she?"

"Because," Andy said, suddenly sure of it, "she's been sending me Iris-messages. She's been trying to warn me what you're up to, so I can stop you."

Nico shook his head. "That's impossible."

"One way to find out."

"Andy," Anthony said. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Eurytion scratched his beard. "There's a hole dug out back. You could use that."

And just like that, it was decided.

They did the summoning after dark. Andy was scared. It felt wrong, unnatural. The night air felt cold and menacing.

Minos decided to appear.

"You're disrupting the ritual," Nico told him. "Get out of the way."

"Yes, master. You keep chanting. I've only come to protect you from the liar who tries to deceive you with her womanly charms." Minos turned to Andy. "Child of land and sea. She has the looks, don't you see? Very pretty. Like the ocean. And like the ocean she will crush you with her waves, smother and delude you, letting you think that's love when in fact it is nothing but death."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Andy said.

"Because you're a woman. But we are men," he glanced at the others, one by one, defying them to argue. "They know what I'm talking about. They see it, too."

"Okay, enough with the sex-offender act," Andy mumbled. "Get lost."

The ghost chuckled. "I understand you once killed my Minotaur with your bare hands. But worse things await you in the maze, Andy Jackson. Do you really believe Daedalus will help you? He cares nothing for you, half-bloods. You cannot trust him. He is old beyond counting, and crafty. He is bitter from the guilt of murder and is cursed by the gods."

"The guilt of murder?"

"You are hindering Nico," Minos growled, ignoring her. "You try to persuade him to give up his goal. I would make him a lord!"

"Enough, Minos," Nico commanded.

The ghost sneered. "Master, you are blinded. Smitten. You must not listen to the siren! Let me protect you. I will turn her mind to madness, as I did the others."

"You did that to Chris Rodriguez," Anthony accused.

"The maze is my property," Minos said, "not Daedalus'! Those who intrude deserve madness!"

"Be gone, Minos!" Nico demanded. "I want to see my sister!"

The ghost bit back his rage. "As you wish, master. But I warn you. You cannot trust the girl. The sea is not forgiving." With that, he faded into mist.

Nico gave Andy this weird, pained look before resuming his chanting. It was like he wasn't at all sure if he should listen to Minos or not.

Then, with a silvery light, she was there. Nico's chanting faltered. Bianca smiled. "Hello, Andy." She looked the same as she had in life; there wasn't a trace of resentment in her face. Andy's eyes immediately watered up. The guilt threatened to crush her.

"Bianca," she said with difficulty. "I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Andy. I made a choice. I don't regret it."

Nico stumbled forward. Bianca turned toward him. Her expression was sad, as if she'd been dreading this moment. "Hi, Nico. You've gotten so tall."

"Why didn't you answer me sooner?" he cried. "I've been trying for months!"

"I was hoping you'd give up."

"Give up?" he shouted, heartbroken. "How can you say that? I'm trying to save you!"

"I can't be saved, Nico. Stop trying. Andy is right."

"No! She let you die! She is not your friend!"

"Listen to me," she said with urgency. "Holding grudges is dangerous for a child of Hades. It is our fatal flaw. You have to let go. You need to forgive. Promise me!"

"I can't. Never."

"Andy can help, Nico. I'm sorry, I... I've been avoiding you because I was ashamed. It's not Andy you're mad at, Nico. It's me. I left you to become a Hunter of Artemis. You're mad because I died and left you alone. I'm sorry for that, Nico. I truly am. But you must overcome the anger. Blaming Andy won't take you nowhere. It'll be your doom."

"I just want you back," he said, weakly.

"You can't have that."

"I'm the son of Hades! I can!"

"Stop trying," her figure shimmered. "If you love me..."

"Of course I do! That's why I want you back-"

"Nico..." her voice trailed off. "You may give me all your love and my heart won't quit being cold." She looked over her shoulder. "Tartarus stirs," she warned. "Your power draws the attention of Kronos. The dead must return to the Underworld. It is not safe for me to remain."

"Wait," Nico pleaded. "Please-"

"Remember what I said, Nico," Bianca told him. "And know that love doesn't die when the heart stops beating. Goodbye."

[monsterpoppy]

I got nothing, this was a weird thought in my head. Will probably do a part 2...eventually

"I don't mind Papa, I really don't." Dana chided lightly, slinging the shotgun strap over her shoulder. She pulled on her ratty cowboy boots and threw her papa a smile. The old man shook his head, chuckling. Dana knew her papa was getting older, and after a recent roping accident he had fractured his knee.

He had called Dana while she was in the city, meekly asking if she would come visit him and stay until his leg was better. Stubborn old man. Dana actually felt a little guilty; after college she had halted her regular summer trips to his ranch, opting to work hard to earn her own place near her mom in the city. But as much as she enjoyed the concrete city, she missed the space of the country. The calmness, where the biggest problem was keeping coyotes out of the hen house.

"Wait, Danny." She waited in the door as her papa limped towards her, loading his prized Colt handgun, along with the holster. "Just in case."

Dana bit her tongue but took the Colt. She didn't think it was that bad. Lately her papa's cattle had been showing up mutilated. Nothing serious at first, losing calves and the stray sow was normal. But then sturdy sows started being found dead, ones that were known to stomp on stray coyotes if they got too close. Less calves began going missing and more sows. Dana didn't know what to think. So, this night she was going to patrol. Dana wanted to try and catch the stupid animal and stop it from eating all their cattle.

She saddled up her trustworthy mare, Brego. Her name was a far cry from papa's horse's, Daisy, Chestnut. But Dana had helped Brego come into this world, she had helped rear and break Brego into the saddle so she was naming her whatever she wanted. Brego was loyal to Dana, she wouldn't run at the first sight of danger.

The first couple of hours turned up nothing. To Dana it felt more like she was repeating her childhood night rides and instead of a shotgun she had a stick. She was glad to have something that could give her an edge.

Especially when she saw a small puddle of dark liquid. It was dusk, so it was a little hard to tell what it was, but when she dismounted and crouched low, Dana found it to be blood. Fuck.

She mounted back up quickly, and gazed around to see if there were any other signs of a hurt animal in the wildlife. Dana heard a groan and immediately spun her horse towards the sound, spurs digging into Bregos flank. When she came around to a flat clearing, she spotted the cow. She gasped at the sight of the cows horns. Something had taken down one of the bulls.

Dana' s gasp had caught someone else's attention and a head poked up behind the fallen steer.

"Well ain't you the prettiest gal to pass these parts?" The man had blood all over his face, but his face was open and friendly. Dana stared, sputtering. "How can I help you, Sugar?" His easy tone freaked Dana out and she did the only thing that made sense. She pulled out her shotgun and fired. The man was flung back, a direct hit to his face. Dana, despite hunting since she was a little girl, let out a small scream, still trying to process what just happened.

Dana dismounted her horse after a moment, her hand still firmly grasping the shotgun. The man hadn't moved and she crept closer, making sure to keep the dead cow between them. If he hadn't had blood smeared all over his face, he could have easily passed for one of the cowboys moseying around town or at bull fighting. Dana stared, her body trembling slightly. So it wasn't an animal?

She didn't see him move, Dana had shot him in the face after all, so she steadily relaxed. She walked around the cow and surveyed the damage, her back to the stranger. Damn that looked terrible.

"Whoa darlin', that sure packs a punch." Dana screamed and whirled around, tripping over the cows legs and falling on her ass. She dropped the shotgun, scrambling backwards. She tried to grab the Colt, but she was so startled she couldn't pull it out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

"S-stay away!" Dana squeaked. He was sitting up, his arms resting on his legs, not a scratch on his face.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya, sugar." He said softly. He hesitated a moment, before frowning and wiping at his face, smearing the drying blood. "Aw hell, this prolly looks real bad."

"You think?!" Dana snapped, managing to pull the gun put finally and shakily pointing it at him. "I shot you in the face with a fucking shotgun." He at least had the decency to look sheepish. Most of the blood was wiped off, just a bit smeared, and he looked almost normal. He had a bit of scruff and his dark hair was a mess.

"Ah hell." She flinched when he made a move to get up, having enough lucidity to cock the gun in her hand. He froze, his eyes darting to the gun and looking as if he just noticed it. "Look, sugar, I told ya before that I ain't gonna hurt ya. It's all a misunderstanding, that's all."

"Why the fuck have you been killing and eating my goddamn cows?" He tilted his head and glanced at the dead steer.

"I thought they belonged to that old man on that ranch near here?" Dana huffed, gathering her bearings. Only she was allowed to call him old man.

"That's my father." He made another move towards her, and she placed both hands on the gun in warning.

"Now, darlin'. You just said so yourself that you shot lil ol' me in the face with a shotgun. You think that your little handgun's gonna do much different?" Dana knew he was right but she still held her position. After a moment, she slowly lowered the gun, before sheathing the weapon. "Atta girl."

Silence passed over them. She felt very vulnerable, if he tried anything Dana was a goner for sure.

"Now don't look so scared, sugar. You look like a rabbit cornered by a coyote." She was pretty sure it wasn't far from the truth. But unlike a rabbit she had an escape route. Brego hadn't moved an inch, not even when she fired the shotgun. So Dana felt a little heartened at her horse's ease. She gestured to the cow.

"Tina's Diner makes her steaks good and raw." She jumped at his loud laugh. It was deep and boisterous.

"Pretty and funny. My kinda darlin'!" Dana frowned, her eyes darting to his hands. She wasn't sure why, but she noticed how big they were. No weapon. How the hell had he mutilated that bull so quickly without a weapon? "I'm real sorry about the cows, sugar. It's just...well..." he rubbed the back of his neck, looking convincingly ashamed. "Your pa's prolly waitin' on ya."

"And I told him I'm not coming back without the news that I killed the animal that was killing our cows." He flinched. "But you're not an animal."

"Wouldn't be too sure." He mumbled. Dana frowned.

"Guess not, since it looks like you don't have a weapon and you took down one of my meanest bulls." He looked up, surprised that she heard him. Dana grabbed the shotgun and stood, hands on her hips as she stared down the large man. "I really don't care why you killed my cows but you didn't have any right to. So here's what's going to happen: you're coming back with me, you're going to talk with Papa and you're going to pay us back for all the cattle you killed."

The man said nothing, he kept rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the dead bull behind Dana.

"Not that I'm gonna, but what would you do if I ran?" Dana slung the shotgun over her shoulder, shooting him a glare.

"I may not have been here for a while, but I grew up roping cattle. Can't imagine you're much different from a struggling cow." She was surprised when the man smiled and chuckled.

"Can't argue with that, sugar." When he stood, Dana realized how big and intimidating this man really was. He looked over her, his flannel shirt barely containing the thick muscles hidden underneath. Dana was now positive it was perfectly reasonable to assume that he could take down a cow. "We sharing that mare of yours?"

Dana scoffed and slung the shotgun strap back over her shoulder, mounting up quickly and turning Brego.

"Brego doesn't like strangers. You're walking." She was surprised when the man said nothing, just began walking next to her after shrugging. They walked in silence, though Dana had many questions. She bit her tongue and kept quiet. Her papa would probably get all the questions out of him.

It was very dark by the time they got back and very fluidly Dana swung off Brego and strode towards the front door of her papa's house.

"Papa! Found what was killing the cows!" She called, throwing a glare at the man. He smirked and shrugged.

"Did ya kill it, Danny?" She heard him ask, walking into the foyer and stopping when he saw the stranger.

"Nope, but after he pays you back I might. I have to go take care of Brego." She turned and her stare hardened as she looked at the man. "You try to leave and I'll take my chances with the shotgun again."

"No need for the fire, sugar. I never lie to a pretty gal." Somehow Dana found that hard to believe but shrugged and stepped back out.

[strawberryhierophant]

The Traiteur

1. Spirits

My mom says my great-grandfather was a healer, though she refuses to use that word. To her, healers like the types you see on TV are phonies and charlatans, or else they’re witches in league with the devil. Either way nobody but God, she says, has the ability to really heal someone.

She wasn’t always so fervently religious. Growing up she had “demons” she used to tell me, and her brothers and sisters referred to her as “that crazy girl” because she was prone to unpredictable fits of rage.

That all changed one day when she had a sort of spiritual awakening. I was just a baby at the time and she stayed at home with me while my dad worked. I was asleep in my crib and she was busy running around vacuuming and doing laundry and mopping and all of the work that comes with being a stay-at-home mom.

In the room where I lay sleeping a large wooden crucifix was hung on the wall. My mom was passing it when a strong sensation took hold of her. She found herself falling to her knees overcome with a need to pray. Her eyes closed, and words began to tumble from her lips. She swayed back and forth on her knees, praying feverishly. My mom had never quite known how to pray, but on that day she spilled out the secrets that were in her heart and — she told me — God was listening.

An overwhelming force knocked her to the floor then and she began to tremble. Slowly, great sobs poured out of her as her body curled itself up like a baby. She cried for hours.

“It was the Holy Spirit filling my heart,” she told me once.

It was, in her mind, the moment of her great cleansing, and from that day forward she began to let go of all of the pain that had been crashing like a great boiling ocean inside of her ever since she was a child.

2. Hard Times

My mom grew up on a ranch with her ten brothers and sisters. Times were tough back then and my grandfather worked hard to make ends meet. Sometimes he would be gone for weeks at a time, working odd jobs here and there for extra cash, but for all his trying the family often went hungry.

My mom remembers being seven years old walking around the empty flat land that surrounded the ranch. Some days she would walk for miles trying hard to forget the hunger that gnawed at her stomach. Until one day she found herself on her knees scraping at the dry earth with her small hands. She pulled up small clumps of dirt and shoved them into her mouth. She ate without stopping until her little belly was full.

My own life has been periodically punctuated by stories like these. When my childhood dog died my mom could see that I was depressed and she told me about the day my grandpa’s dog died. Her account of this is still vivid in my mind today.

My grandpa was traveling home from a neighboring town. He was on horseback and his dog was trotting alongside him. The journey was a couple of days long and on the second night he tied up his horse and laid himself down to sleep with his dog curled beside him.

The next thing he knew he was jolted awake by his dog’s panicked barking. It was morning and the bright sun blinded him for a moment. He heard a familiar rattling noise that instantly brought him to his feet. He squinted in the daylight until his eyes made out the shape of a rattlesnake only a few feet away, reared up and waiting to strike, its tail shaking furiously. His dog was growling and snapping at the snake, holding it at bay.

Before my grandfather could unholster his gun and shoot, the snake struck and bit my grandfather’s dog. It howled and jumped back in pain. With a single shot my grandfather blew off the snake’s head but by then the damage was done. My grandfather kneeled down and held his dying dog for what felt like an agonizing amount of time. The dog died struggling to breathe.

My mom told me that she still remembers that morning. Her father came tearing into the house with a dead snake in his hand. He stormed over to a large hook that was attached to the kitchen wall. Stabbing the snake’s body onto it, he pulled out a large knife and made a slice down its belly. With his bare hands he dug his fingers into the cut and pulled the snake’s skin off, a look of fury in his eyes. He demanded that my grandmother start a fire.

She did as he asked and that morning the family ate roasted rattlesnake. The snake skin hung on the wall as a memorial to my grandfather’s dead dog until the day that he passed away.

3. Myth to Reality

In Australia, the aboriginal people have (or had) their Dreamtime stories, which were ancient myths about the creation of the world and about the purpose of mankind. Those of us who grew up in a religious household are accustomed to religious stories being told in a moralistic style, but the Aboriginal people rarely did this. When they recited their stories to children no explanation for the story was provided, and so there was no explicit instruction in the story. The stories contained hidden knowledge which, as the children became more familiar with the stories, slowly took shape in the imagination of the child, and stayed firmly entrenched in their psyche, growing more complex and rich as they matured.

My mother’s stories were somewhat like this, and they gained almost the status of myth in my mind as I grew older, becoming like constellations in the dark sky of my mind. They offered a cryptic sort of guidance that I felt at a fundamental, almost unconscious level.

It had never actually occurred to me that I might take the stories at face value. To me they were tall tales from the ranch. That’s why when my mom told me about my great grandfather I was completely stupefied.

One early Sunday afternoon we were in the kitchen preparing lunch. I can’t help mentioning that preparing a meal with my mother is something of an extreme sport. There’s always one pan simmering with rice, another boiling with potatoes, a cast iron griddle practically smoking with tomatoes and peppers which pop and jump as they toast over the intense heat. Cutting boards with piles of diced onions or tomatoes or stew meat or pork loin heaped up waiting to be used, sat crowded around a blender that was always going at high speed with a salsa of some sort. In the oven something there might be sweet potatoes roasting or a chicken baking. It always felt as though one false move and the whole operation would go up in smoke.

Amidst this fray my mom was casually going on about something pertaining to my great grandfather when she off-handedly mentioned that before he had died, my great-grandfather had left a considerable amount of money to my grandmother. This struck me as odd since I had always been told that he had died practically destitute in a tiny one-room house, and I brought this up to my mom.

“He was poor,” she responded, “but he had lots of money.”

These are the sorts of things my mom often stated flatly, as if no explanation were necessary. But before I could ask what she meant, she went on.

“Your great grandpa was a Christian man. And his own daughter was a mean woman. She was into witchcraft and all sorts of evil things. They didn’t get along and he didn’t trust her. Even though your grandma was only his daughter-in-law, she was more of a daughter to him than his own flesh and blood. So one day, just before he died, he came to her in secret and told him about some money he had hidden away. But he told her not to tell his daughter about it because she would kill him just to have it!”

I was, as usual, slightly incredulous, and face betrayed my disbelief.

“Was she really that bad?” I asked.

My mom stopped stirring a pan that was smoking with grilled onions and turned to look at me. Her eyes were wide and she nodded in a slow, dramatic way. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh, you think it’s funny!” she said. “But remember she was MY aunt. I had to deal with her when I was only a child. I’m telling you, she was a witch! I used to find these strange bundled up pieces of cloth when I was playing around the ranch. Inside there would be broken branches or feathers or bones with strange writing on them.”

“Really? What were they?” I asked.

“Your grandma told me they were things that witches use to curse people. She would tell me not to touch them because they could make me sick. Do you know what she’d do?”

With this last question she gave me sort of sideways look and smiled as she recalled the memory.

“She’d just pick these little curse bundles up and take them over to the fire pit and cover them in ashes. Then she’d pray that the magic would return from where it came and that no harm would come to us.”

She shook her head and laughed.

“You know your grandpa was a rough man. He didn’t believe in God, but he believed in witches, and even he wouldn’t touch those things. But your grandma is a funny woman. She’s small and nobody would think it but she’s fearless!”

4. Traiteur

My curiosity was piqued, but I wasn’t sure where to begin. I didn’t believe in witches. And I thought spells were something that teenagers obsessed with Harry Potter recited from New Age books, not bundles of sticks and feathers and bones. It sounded ridiculous. I decided to steer the conversation back to something more understandable.

“What I don’t understand is how great grandpa even got this money. And why wouldn’t he use it if he had it?”

“Your great grandpa,” my mother repeated, “was a Christian man. He was very religious. People used to come from all over to see him.”

I laughed and said, “You make him sound like Billy Graham.”

My mom gave me a wry smile.

“Your great grandpa was in some ways more important than Billy Graham. They just never put him on TV. He wouldn’t have wanted to go even if they asked him. You know, people from the government used to come see him — politicians and that sort. Famous people, and poor people, too. All kinds. They would come from far away to see him.”

“And they would pay him? I don’t get it. For what?”

“He would tell them not to pay him, but they insisted, even the poor people. If they didn’t have money they’d bring eggs or corn from their farms. But the rich people would leave GOLD. Not just paper money, but real gold!”

“But,” I asked again, “why they would pay him?”

My mother shook her head. She often failed to explain small crucial details and became impatient when I didn’t seem to understand.

“He used to PRAY over people, son. He used to pray over them and they would get better.”

My mom casually threw the roasted tomatoes and peppers into the blender. I was struck dumb. Was she saying what I thought she was saying?

“You mean he was a healer?” I asked, kind of shocked.

My mom blended the tomatoes and peppers for just a couple of seconds, creating a thick red salsa, which she poured into a bowl.

“No, he wasn’t like those fakes on TV,” she said. “He just prayed over people and they would get better. It wasn’t him doing the healing. It was GOD.”

She taste the salsa, added salt, then tasted it again. You would have thought that she had just commented on the weather. She pushed the salsa towards me.

“Try this. Anyway, that’s why he kept telling people not to pay him, but they kept insisting and so he had all of this money he couldn’t spend. That’s how you know when people really heal with the power of God. They’ll never ask for money like some of these false prophets do on TV. God was working through him. He was just the vessel. He said that he had no right to spend that money. But he also didn’t want his daughter to have it. So he gave it away before he died.”

At this point I was sweating. Not from the story. From the salsa.

To be continued...

[therewerepotatoeswheniwasab-blog]

HTTYD: 2, 22, 69

2. How do you think you’d be different if you grew up on Berk?

As a child, I don’t think I would be that different than I was in this world. I grew up in the countryside, which means I spent most of my days running around the fields and the forest, playing with other kids, climbing trees and getting into fist fights with the kids from my village on a daily basis (nothing serious though, we were all friends). This is exactly what children on Berk do. For some time we were all obsessed with sticks, the longer the better. We would often pretend they’re swords and fight with them. This is another thing that children of Berk probably do, but with actual weapons of course. The only difference would be that in while real life, I was madly obsessed with dogs (I’ve talked about this in the other ask I got a while ago), on Berk it would be with dragons. If my parents wouldn’t let me have one, just like they don’t allow me to have a dog, I would probably run from one viking to another, asking them if I can pretty please play with their dragons, just like I did with dogs. Later, when I was like eleven, I’ve grown to love horses very much. I also took riding lessons, which I LOVED. On Berk I imagine it would be pretty much the same, but again, with dragons. My teenage years would be the only thing that would be very different on Berk. In real life, I barely ever leave my house, except for school of course. I’m stressed all the time and I study a lot. On Berk, it would be exactly the opposite of this. I would probably spend most of the time outdoors, riding dragons and exploring with my best friend. School doesn’t seem to be a thing in HTTYD universe, except for Gobber’s lessons/Pirate Training Programme in the books, but that hardly changes anything, since most of it happens outdoors, with/on dragons.

22. What do you think the dragon riders are like as old women and men?

I’ll assume by dragon riders you mean Hiccup & the gang, not vikings who ride dragons in general. The Thorstons are probably not very different than as teenagers, in their 80’s and still head butting and pranking everybody. Tuffnut becomes Berk’s crazy chicken lady. Let’s face it, The Chicken’s probably going to reproduce at some point.Fishlegs is going to be a walking encyclopaedia. When he gets too old to ride dragons, he’s probably going to spend most of his time writing his knowledge down in books. By the time Hiccup’s old, his children are probably going to take over the chiefing business, and he’s going to have a lot of time to spend with his grandchildren. Unlike Fishlegs, he’s not going to write books about dragons but share his knowledge with his young ones. He’s going to take them to different islands to show them all these amazing dragons. Astrid is going to teach her grandchildren how to use different weapons at WAY too early age. Hiccup is not going to be amused. She is going to be like Valhallarama in the books, a badass dragon riding warrior until the very end. And so is Heather. Her age won’t stop her from being a crazy Berserker, always ready for a battle. She’ll also stay close friends with the gang from Berk for life. When Snotlout gets too old to have any more adventures, he’ll probably be surrounded with children, who want to hear stories about his bravery and all the danger he and his friends faced in their youth. Half of them is going to be made up and the other half absurdly exaggerated, but the children are going to love them all the more for it.

69. What is something you didn’t initially think about but grew to love about HTTYD?

Pretty much the whole franchise lol. I’ve seen the movies several times on a ranch where I spend most of my holidays. We watched a lot of animated movies, since there are lots of children there as well. And although HTTYD were my favourite of all, I never really thought about them until much later. They’re we’re just nice movies with amazing soundtrack, that was all. Then, one night, I had a very vivid dream about me riding a dragon with a bunch of other teenagers. When I woke up, I was really disappointed to find out it was only a dream. But I remembered it was kinda like HTTYD so I decided to rewatch them and when I did, I had no idea why I didn’t appreciate them more before that. I was kind of sad there isn’t a book, though. However, I did find the TV series, and I became obsessed with this franchise.  Then, when I was watching one episode, I suddenly noticed that in the opening credits it says “Based on the books by Cressida Cowell.” When I googled it, I found out there isn’t a trilogy, like I hoped it to be, BUT 12 FREAKING BOOKS. I can honestly say I’ve never been so excited in my life.

But if you want something more specific, I would have to say Ruffnut Thorston. I didn’t pay much attention to her at first and thought her to be the female version of Tuffnut. But I’ve grown really found of her and now she’s my favourite character in the DW Franchise (except for Hookfang, he will always be my #1). She has an amazing sense of humour and is always ready to have fun. She doesn’t make a fool of herself like Tuffnut to be funny, and I believe she’s smarter than him. Despite her brother being an idiot (in a good way), she loves him very much and is ready to do anything for him (she snuck in their enemy’s territory in the middle of the night to get his frickin mace back). She’s badass and exceptionally brave, and no matter how dangerous does the situation get, she never sees it as stressful, but as a fun challenge instead. A dragon who breathes a fiery vortex? Cool, let’s ride inside of it. The whole village is getting destroyed by lightning? Nice, let’s sit back and enjoy the view. Somebody stole her brother’s mace? Burglary time!

Thanks for sending me these, it was really fun to answer them :D Sorry if I got carried away and this whole thing became too long. I’m kinda like trader Johann, to get one thing out of me you need to hear about my whole life story  XD

@ Everyone else: please ask me more! I love answering them.