#mickey x the outlaw

[makeusfly]

Left Country and the Conservative Right

The thing about country music (all music, all things) is that it is ever evolving. So anyone who laments about how “country music ain’t what it used to be” is…well, technically correct, but misses the point. And when they try to police who gets to call themselves country they become objectively wrong. It goes through generational shifts. When I was born, it was a generation of neotraditionalism…

[sailor-aviator]

Singing in the Sanctuary: Chapter Three

Singing in the Sanctuary: Chapter Three

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Reader

Summary: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw is a simple man. Well, as simple as one can be while living a life of crime. The notorious outlaw of the western territories has never been interested in settling down and having a family, but will that all change when he meets a shy, new teacher who just moved into town?

Warnings: Mentions of dead parents, Bradley Bradshaw. Think that's it?

Word Count: 2.37k

A/N: Here's Chapter Three at long last! I know this one is a little shorter than what we're used to, but I don't want force the narrative, and this seemed like a good place to stop. We should see longer chapters on this one soon! As always, reblogs, comments, and likes are greatly appreciated! 18+ ONLY!! You can find me on AO3 under sailor_aviator where I will be posting these fics as well.

Series Masterlist || DGU Masterlist || Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw Tag List

“You know, I had the strangest conversation with Bradley yesterday afternoon,” Maverick said, stabbing at his eggs. Penny lifted an eyebrow at him in intrigue.

“Do tell.”

“He came by askin’ me about what my plans were for a schoolhouse. Can you believe that? Since when does he care about the education of the kids?”

Penny hummed, glancing at you slyly from the corner of her eye before taking a bit of her toast. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, and I told him that we were looking more into it now that we have Birdie here to teach’em, but he was pretty insistent that I make it a priority.”

“You don’t say?” Penny smiled, snorting a laugh that she quickly tried to pass off as a cough. Maverick looked at her with concern.

“You feelin’ okay, sweetheart?”

Penny waved him off, finishing her mouthful of eggs. “I’m just fine, honey. Tell me more about what Bradley said.”

“Well, it’s just like I said,” he continued. “I know he and the other boys help people out around town, but to volunteer the other boys the way he did? That’s unusual for him.”

“He volunteered the other Daggers?” you chirped, surprise clear on your face as you looked up at him. He nodded, laughing with a shake of his head.

“I know, I could hardly believe it myself!”

Penny shot you a coy smile. “I wonder what could have caused him to go and do something like that.”

You flushed at her words, ducking your head down to stare at your plate. Maverick let out another chuckle.

“I don’t know, Penny, but you should have heard Mickey hollerin’ up and down Main Street at him. Wouldn’t be surprised if you could’ve heard him all the way in Independence! with how loud he was yellin'.”

You and Penny laughed at that, and Maverick’s grin turned into a warm smile.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into him, but I hope it sticks. I can’t tell you the last time I saw that boy so determined to work on a good cause.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Penny hummed, casting you another conspiratorial glance. “I think whatever it is that’s lit a fire under his butt is gonna be good for him. Might even stick around for a while.”

“From your mouth to the good Lord’s ears, darlin’,” Maverick chuckled, placing his napkin on his place as he stood. “It’s good to see him so passionate about something again. Haven’t seen him like this since before…”

He trailed off, and Penny leaned over to lay a sympathetic hand over his. “I know, sweetheart. You don’t need to say it.”

Maverick sniffed, running a finger under his eye before straightening. “Anyway, the only problem we have now is comin’ up with the money for supplies.”

“How do you mean?” you asked him, a furrow in your brow.

Maverick grimaced. “Town is runnin’ low on building materials. We’ve got enough to start the foundation for the schoolhouse, but we’ll have to scrounge up some money for everything else.”

“I see,” you frowned. Maverick gave you a reassuring look.

“It’ll be alright, Birdie. We’ll figure something out. We always do.”

You nodded, and with one last smile to his wife, Maverick was out the door. You helped Penny clear the table. The older woman began to wash the dishes as you took them from her to dry.

“So,” she drawled, looking over at you with a smile. “That was real nice of Bradley to volunteer to help out with the schoolhouse.”

“Wasn’t it just?” you gushed, a smile breaking out over your face. “I’m not surprised, though. The children seem to love him, and it looked like he felt the same way.”

“You still mad at him?” she asked you. You hummed before giving her a shrug.

“I wasn’t really mad at him to begin with, Penny,” you sighed, placing a plate in the cupboard. “I don’t know him well enough to be mad at him for his past. It’s not like he owes me an explanation or anything.”

“No,” Penny said carefully, “but despite his past as a philanderer, he’s a good man at heart, Birdie. He was a wild, young thing back in the day, but he’s older now.”

“Besides,” she smirked, looking directly at you now, “Doesn’t take a genius to see the way he looks at you.”

You flushed at her words. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Sure you don’t,” she chuckled, drying her hands on a dish towel. “Just like you don’t know why he would volunteer him and his friends to build the schoolhouse.”

You stayed quiet for a moment.

“I want to thank him in some way,” you murmured, not meeting her gaze.

“I’m sure you’ll think of somethin’,” she mused. “Now, come on. Don’t want you to be late for class.”

A couple of hours later, you were perched on the steps of the altar, looking around at your class.

“What about a baseball game?” Ricky grinned. Lottie wrinkled her nose at him.

“No way!” she cried. “It needs to be something we can all do!”

“What about a bake sale?”

You had told the children the good news about finding volunteers to build the schoolhouse, and the sanctuary had exploded in a chorus of excitement.

“Hold on, hold on,” you had smiled, trying to calm the children down. “There’s just one more thing we have to figure out.”

“What’s that, miss?” Michael called out from his spot in the third row. You sighed with a slight frown.

“After talking with Mr. Maverick today, I’ve found out that we unfortunately don’t have all the funds we need to build it,” you said. The children exclaimed in disappointment, but little Billy looked at you with big, green eyes.

“Maybe we can help, teacher!” he grinned.

You smiled back at him as the other children voiced their support for the little boy.

“That’s a fine idea, Billy,” you said. “And it sounds like all of you agree.”

“We do!” smiled Michael.

“But how can we even help?” frowned Lydia, a plucky red-head from the second row. “What could we possibly do?”

Samantha raised her hand. “We could hold a fundraiser?”

The children murmured in agreement, and you nodded your head slowly.

“That could work,” you hummed. “What is it you all would like to do?”

Now you sat there as the children volleyed ideas back and forth at each other. None of them had been bad ideas, but it was hard for a group of thirty children to come to an agreement on what to do. You worried that they would grow too frustrated to settle on an idea, and then you would have to pick. You wanted the children to enjoy their time helping with preparations, so you knew that it would have to be their decision on what to do.

“My mother and father went and saw a play when they were visiting my grandmother in Kansas City,” Theresa said thoughtfully. “We could do that?”

The room was left in a hushed silence as the children mulled over her words.

“I like it,” Samantha nodded, and the other children were quick to agree.

“We should do Snow White!”

“No, Cinderella!”

“I wanna do Sleeping Beauty!”

You chuckled at their enthusiasm, moving to stand.

“Alright, class,” you smiled warmly, “we’ll have plenty of time to decide what our play is going to be. Now, let’s get back to your math lesson.”

You dismissed your class not too long after that, and now you were walking idly down the main street of Maverick. People greeted you as you past, and you returned the gestures. Your thoughts kept turning back to the play, however. It had been a miracle that they agreed on doing a play in the first place. Maybe you could convince the townsfolk to buy multiple tickets for different plays?

You stopped walking, sighing as you stared up at the sky. A chill was starting to stir in the air as Autumn began fast approaching. You wondered how your parents were faring back home in Missouri. Your eyebrows furrowed as you heard the quiet melody of a piano drift through the street. You realized it was coming from the saloon, and you moved quickly until you were standing in the entryway.

The sun was hanging low in the sky, casting a golden hue across the rooms as the sunbeams stretched across the wooden floors. The gentle lilt of the keys danced in your ears. You didn’t recognize the song, but you watched as the familiar brunette strummed his fingers along the ivory.

Bradley hadn’t seen you walk in, to lost in the way the music washed over him. You thought he looked sad as he played, which was strange because you were certain the song was supposed to sound happy even though he was playing slowly. You didn’t realize you were moving until you sat down gingerly next to him. He jumped, fingers flying off the keys as he turned to look at you. The two of you stared at each other.

“Please, don’t stop,” you whispered, pleading for him to continue. Bradley swallowed before turning back to the piano. His fingers pressed down lightly on the keys as he began to play the same tune as before.

“You’re very good,” you smiled as he continued to play. He huffed out a light laugh as he looked at you from the corner of his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Don’t sound so surprised, Birdie,” he joked, causing your face to flush.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you rushed out, but he shook his head.

“I’m only teasin’ you, little bird. I know I don’t look like the type that knows how to play.”

“Well, I am a little shocked,” you admitted. He gave you a playful glare, and you giggled up at him.

You shifted closer to him on the bench. “How did you learn to play?”

“My dad taught me,” he hummed sadly.

You watched him for another minute before asking quietly, “did something happen?”

His fingers stilled over the keys for half a second before continuing. “He and my mom died when I was eight. It was scarlet fever, made its way through town pretty quick. Took Hangman’s folks too and Bob’s daddy.”

“Oh, Bradley,” you began, but he cut you off with a stern look.

“Don’t,” he snapped, fingers banging on the keys with a crash. His eyes softened when he saw your confused look. “Please, don’t. I get enough pity from the folks here in town. I don’t think I could handle it if you looked at me like that too.”

“Okay,” you said softly, nodding in understanding. Bradley let out a shaky breath, refusing to meet your gaze for a moment.

“My dad and Mav were best friends,” he said finally. You remained quiet, letting him speak at his own pace. He continued. “They did almost everything together. They drank, they sang, they even broke the law together.”

He looked at you then, eyes glistening with unshed tears. “He always told me that my mama was the reason he gave up his wild life. Said he couldn’t bare the thought of her cryin’ if he never came home.”

You reached up to cup his cheek in your hand, and he immediately turned his face into your palm, nuzzling it.

“He sounds like he was a good man,” you offered, giving him a gentle smile. Bradley frowned at your words.

“No,” he said. “He was the best.”

The two of you didn’t say anything for a moment, just staring at each other. Finally, Bradley pulled away from you with a sniff before turning back to the piano. He began to play a different melody now, something quicker and more upbeat.

“So,” he chirped, offering you a bright smile, “what brings you into the saloon today?”

“Oh, I was actually looking for Penny,” you told him, glancing around the room but not seeing the older brunette.

“Think she’s still showin’ the new girl around,” Bradley muttered, earning a look from you.

“New girl?” you asked.

He hummed with a nod.

“Came rollin’ in with Joel yesterday mornin’. Walked right up to the bar and asked Penny for a job. She must have liked the look of her, ‘cause Penny accepted right then and there.”

“How interesting,” you trailed off. Bradley glanced at you before moving to stand. He held his hand out for you, and you took it, letting him pull you to your feet.

“C’mon,” he smirked, pulling you towards the doors, “I’ll walk you home.”

The two of you walked in a comfortable silence down the street. Bradley’s hand rested gently on your lower back, and you felt giddy at the contact. You thought back on what Ricky and Michael had said to Bradley in the churchyard the other day, but then you thought about Penny’s words from that morning. The two of you stopped in front of the door to the house.

“Bradley,” you said, earning a hum from him. “Are you seeing any other girls?”

He stopped, turning to face you with a look of bewilderment. “What?”

“Are you seeing any other girls?” you repeated.

He stared at you. “Why are you asking me that?”

“I was just thinking about what the boys and Penny said,” you shrugged.

“I see,” he said slowly, studying you. “No, Birdie. Haven’t seen anyone since I laid eyes on you singin’ all sweet in that church.”

You blushed at his words, biting at your bottom lip to suppress the smile that threatened to make a home on your face. A grin broke out onto his face at the sight of your bashfulness, and he leaned against the door to look down at you, hovering over your space. The two of you looked at each other for a moment before Bradley’s smirk dropped, replaced with a look of confusion.

“Wait, what did Penny say?”

You giggled up at him before turning the knob on the door and pushing it open. You slipped inside before moving to close it behind you with one last giggle.

“Goodnight, Bradley.”

[shinycupcakebaker]

Hey, Mel! I don’t know what was going on with tumblr yesterday, but every time I tried to find your blog, it said it didn’t exist. 🙄 Stupid tumblr. 😒 Anyway, here is a list of my favorite Top Gun writers on here:

@discount-shades - She has two canon Jake series that are awesome and she just started a Jake Western AU (they’re all outlaws) that’s amazing so far.

@teacupsandtopgun - She has a phenomenal Jake x OC (Felicity March) that is sweet and spicy! She also has some gut-wrenching stories for Fanboy and Bob.

@topgun-imagines - She writes for both movies and her current Jake series is so heartbreakingly good!

@sometimesanalice - She mostly writes for Bradley and her Like I Can series is enough to make you swoon.

@desert-fern - She’s in the middle of a Jake series featuring a team of Navy Seals that enlist the Daggers’ help to take out a corrupt foreign power in the Middle East. Her Reader, Bear, is the commander of the Seal Team and she gives Jake sooo much shit! She also wrote a really sweet Fanboy oneshot about the Reader being completely overwhelmed with work and life and how amazingly sweet Mickey is about it. (It’s not quite a “sick” fic, but it is comforting)

@mayhemmanaged - She has two new series (both AUs) with Jake. One is being cowritten with @cassiemitchell about a group of vigilante women helping to protect abused women and all them are married to the men on the task force who are trying to catch them! May’s other story is about a dystopian society where Jake’s family are basically American royalty and he falls in love with a woman who isn’t “noble.”

@roosterforme - She has soooo many Bradley series. She also has some oneshots of Bradley, Jake, and Bob that are really good.

@tongue-like-a-razor - She is in the middle of two Jake series that I love. Less Talk and Brother’s Best Friend (Bradley’s little sister is the Reader in that one) they’re both slow burns which I love!

@startrekfangirl2233-writes - She’s in the middle of a kiss prompt challenge and has about a dozen one shots with the guys from both movies and different types of kisses. She also wrote a Bob oneshot that absolutely broke my heart!

@ohgodnotagainn - She’s in the middle of a coffee shop AU with Bob and the Daggers and it’s just so sweet and fluffy!

@beyondthesefourwalls - She’s writing a Bradley series about an ex-girlfriend that comes back into his life, but she’s got this creepy coworker that’s stalking her and making her life a living hell. It’s so good so far, and we’re only on Part 5!

@wkndwlff - She has some Bradley oneshots that are really good! The Sunday Scaries isn’t a “sick” fic, but Bradley is super comforting in that one.

@sylviebell - She just started a Bradley x Natasha series that seems like it’s going to be amazing! It’s a fake-dating, friends to lovers fic and those are some of my favorite fics!

@say-al0e - I’ve only read one of her fics, Home Run, but it’s a friends to lovers with Bradley that just blew me away.

@sweetwhispersofchaos - She writes Bob x Phoenix and I’ve only read one of her stories, Tomorrow, but it was so good I can’t wait to binge the rest of her masterlist.

I hope you find enjoy a few of the fics from these awesome ladies! BTW, I’ve got the sequel to That Part written and queued up for Tuesday. (I might have already told you that, but I can’t remember.) It’s a bit spicy, so be warned! 😏😏🔥🔥 It’s very music-centered and I’ve created a couple playlists that I’m going to post this weekend if you want to listen and set the mood for the story. ❤️

Becca!!! Oh my goodness!!! You are amazing beyond words!! I will check out all of these masterlists. I think I have browsed a few of them but I will dive deep into them all. I did find a sweet Bob x sick reader fic. Reader woke up with strep on their birthday. I had to giggle, only b/c my birthday is next week (27th) and if I wake up sick(er), I will not be happy. But, I’m feeling better. Everything seems to have moved from my head into my chest. I’d rather deal with a cough and not sore teeth and sinuses. Lol

I cannot wait to read part 2 of That Part!! Bring on the spice!! You’re awesome!! ❤️❤️🥰🥰

[werewolfsmile]

With You - Ch 6

The English, Whipplocke (Eli x Cornelia) Mature Rating, graphic violence, period-typical racism, post-canon, canon divergent, found family, angst, references to rape 9,303 words Read it on AO3

Wichita was bursting at the seams. The sheer density and infrastructure after days out on her own was jarring. Cornelia let her eyes roam over it all, drinking it in as she rode into the city with White Moon beside her.

They had not been far from Wichita – only a little over a day – and after leaving the wreckage of the outlaw camp behind, they had ridden for only an hour before camping to sleep the remainder of the night. The risk had been low, what with Mickey the only outlaw left alive and wounded. Still, Cornelia could see Eli's disapproving face in her mind, could hear the soft sigh of frustrated resignation.

She would give anything to see that look directed at her again.

Both Cornelia and White Moon had woken with the sun, so despite their weariness and bruised bodies, they had mounted up and pressed on. White Moon spoke on the journey, occasionally stumbling over some words but quite capable of articulating himself.

"Didn't expect to see you there," he had said with a shy smile on his face. Cornelia smiled back.

"Nor I! What happened to Flathead Jackson? I thought you were travelling with him. Did he not keep his word?"

"Oh, he did," White Moon confirmed. "Were in Kansas City. Saw poster of Sergeant Whipp. It said you was looking for him. Knew that would send bad folk after him. Had to go warn him. Maybe bring him to you." He shrugged and Cornelia's heart ached for the genuine kindness from this young boy.

"But how did you know where to look for him?" she had asked and instantly received a glance that was fondly exasperated.

"I didn't. But knew I'd have a better idea than you."

Cornelia had been mildly offended at the time; White Moon had not travelled for weeks with Eli. Yet, on reflection, she began to understand White Moon's meaning. He had been on the move for much of his life, like Eli. Of course his own experiences were similar enough to lend him a unique insight.

"How'd you end up with those ghastly outlaws?" she had asked and White Moon grimaced, looking abashed.

"Ran ahead without looking. Got ambushed two days ago. Thought they would kill me." He looked so young and vulnerable in that moment that her heart ached, reminded sharply of her own son. "Didn't. Kept me alive, said they could do with a slave. Then you came along."

"Oh, White Moon. I'm glad I did, even if it was under such terrible circumstances."

He had smiled then, bright and brilliant.

"So am I."

Now, White Moon kept his horse close to Cornelia's as they rode through the streets. Many people were too focused on their own lives to pay them any mind, but there were some that paused and stared, some that shot him filthy looks or cursed under their breaths.

Cornelia glared back at every single one of them. How dare they think they had any right to pass judgement on a child!

She shot a glance back towards White Moon, chewing absently at the inside of her lip. They had travelled together without question but she could not help but wonder if White Moon wouldn't be better off elsewhere. She had left him with Flathead Jackson for a reason. Fair enough, his broken leg seemed to have healed without any adverse effects, but it didn't change the fact that this lifestyle she had embraced was no life for a child.

Cornelia had been mulling over this for the last hour. She had no desire to detour from her search for Eli, yet neither could she simply ignore the problem that White Moon posed.

"I will take you back to him, if you wish," she said, breaking the silence between them. White Moon shot her a strange glance and she continued. "Flathead Jackson. You were safe with him, weren't you? You had a new life, a future. There's no need for you to stay out here. I'll take you back."

White Moon looked away, frowning as he gathered his thoughts. His quiet demeanour was so unexpectedly reminiscent of Eli that Cornelia's heart ached.

"There is need," he finally said. "Like I said. Find Sergeant Whipp. I got better chance of that than you."

"Really, White Moon, I can manage just fine on my own. In fact-"

"Not just that," he cut over her. White Moon looked down, his lips tightly pursed together for a moment. "Want to see him for myself. Got … things to say."

He looked so young but serious that Cornelia's heart ached anew. For just a moment, she could see her own son on the horse beside her – the weight of the world in his eyes combined with far too deep an understanding of pain and suffering for one so young. Tears pricked her eyes and she had to look away.

White Moon could not be any older than her son. Just a boy, alone against a world that was full of so much violence and hatred towards him. Cornelia had thought she was finished grieving her son. After exacting revenge on Melmont, she had felt peace again. But now, the pain lanced through her, just as sharp and searing as it ever was.

She couldn't speak past the lump in her throat, so she let White Moon's words hang between them. Instead, she turned her focus back to the city.

It took a little while to find the police department – not a sheriff, not in a city of this size – but at last the building came into view. Cornelia dismounted and tethered her horse to the hitching post, with White Moon slow behind her.

"Stay close to me," she said when he finally stepped away from his horse, eyes still darting nervously around. At her words, White Moon nodded and followed so close he was practically on her heels.

The police department was bustling with activity. A woman screamed and sobbed as an officer dragged her to the cells. The desk clerk rushed with an armload of documents, only to spill them all over his desk. The man he was serving tapped his foot impatiently and rolled his eyes, muttering about incompetence. The door to the Chief of Police's office opened and a rough-looking man stepped out. A wad of cash in one hand, he narrowed his eyes at them and hastily pocketed it.

"What're you lookin' at?" the man growled as he stalked past them. Cornelia raised her eyebrows and muttered to White Moon after the man had exited.

"Charming place."

Stepping around the impatient man at the desk, Cornelia aimed straight for the Chief of Police's office. She rapped her knuckles on the open door, smiling confidently when he looked up.

"Chief Daniels?" she said after a quick glance at the name plate on his desk. He stood and she strode in, offering her hand fearlessly. "Lady Cornelia Locke. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."

"Locke, huh?" Chief Daniels shook her hand but regarded her through narrowed eyes. "Your name is familiar to me."

"I should hope so. The sheriff in Columbus assisted me in the creation of some posters for a missing friend of mine. I requested that any information regarding the whereabouts of my friend be forwarded here, to Wichita. And thus, here I am! Have you received any word?"

Chief Daniels sighed and folded his arms. His eyes cut from Cornelia to White Moon hovering behind her.

"D'you have any idea how much of a risk you been taking, ma'am? Putting up posters for a Pawnee scout is one thing, but travelling with one of them?" He gestured to White Moon and Cornelia felt her fingers curl into fists. "That's painting one hell of a target on your back. I got no interest being involved in that kind of trouble, nor do I want that kind of trouble in my city! I'll thank you to leave now with that … what is he, half-breed son of yours?"

"How dare you! And so what if he was?" Cornelia snapped. "It is no business of yours what this boy is, nor is it any business of yours whom I travel with!"

"Careful now, ma'am. Don't want to forget your place. You ain't in England no more. Your fancy title and authority don't mean much out here." Chief Daniels lowered his hands to rest on his hips – only an inch away from his guns.

"Oh, don't go pretending to know anything about me! I've bled more for this country than you'll ever know! My place?" She scoffed. "My place is what I choose it to be. That's what you do out here, isn't it? Reinvent yourselves? In the land of freedom? You have no idea what I was before – nor is it any of your business. No, no, your business pertains to the posters you have stuck up on the wall out there. And that is why I am here!"

Cornelia dropped her own hands onto her hips and boldly thrust her chin out in a challenge. After all she had endured in her search for Eli, she was not about to be waylaid by some arrogant police officer.

Chief Daniels leant forwards, his thick brows drawn low over his eyes in a scowl.

"Your posters never should have been made in the first place, lady. That sheriff in Columbus forgot his place when he did that."

"All I want is the information that must have been sent through. Then I'll be gone. Wouldn't it be easier to give us both what we want?"

"It would be easier if you had never brought this trouble to my city in the first place!" Chief Daniels sighed and rubbed at his temples. "I don't want blood on the streets, ma'am. But I got bounty hunters crawling all over the place right now, and honestly? They're the least of your worries. If word gets out you've been here asking about your poster, you're gonna have all manner of people coming after you for that reward."

"Then give me what I want and I'll be gone!" Cornelia wanted the throttle him in exasperation. He was making this whole thing ten times harder than it had to be.

"I want you to take down the posters, ma'am. They were issued by you, they have to be cancelled by you before they can come down. So that's what I'm asking. Send a telegram to the sheriff of Columbus, cancelling the posters. Then I'll give you all the information you want."

"No!" Cornelia protested. "I can't take them down, not until I find Eli!"

"Ma'am-"

"You don't understand, this country is too big. He could be anywhere by now! If I am to have any hope of finding him, I need those posters – and I need that information you have. So why don't you give that to me first, and if it tells me where Eli is, then I swear to you, I will send that telegram straight away."

Chief Daniels frowned and sat down in his chair. Cornelia's heart sank.

"Posters come down first. If that don't happen, you'll never get your information. Make the smart choice, ma'am."

"This is no choice at all!" There was a hint of resignation in her tone – barely there, but enough for Chief Daniels to hear it and recognise it. A flash of victory passed over his face before he bellowed out into the room beyond.

"Deputy!"

"Cornelia." At the soft voice, she looked back at White Moon. The boy still glanced nervously at Chief Daniels, but spoke furtively to her. "I will help. I can find him. Trust me."

There was no time to respond, as a new man entered the office. Of similar age to Cornelia, he glanced curiously at her and White Moon before directing his attention to Chief Daniels.

"Sir?"

"Lady Locke, this is Deputy Chief Owen Flint. He will personally escort you to the post office where you will send the telegram to cancel the posters. Once that is done, he will pass on all the relevant information you have requested."

"What guarantee do I have that you are even withholding information from me?" Cornelia retorted and folded her arms. Chief Daniels frowned but it was Deputy Flint's huff of amusement that drew her attention.

"Oh, there's information for you, alright. Lots of it."

Cornelia raised her eyebrows at that and nervous energy gripped her chest. She was so close!

"Then let's get on with this."

Deputy Flint took a moment to gather his effects but in short order, he was leading Cornelia and White Moon across the city streets. The post office was only a few streets down and he lazed against the wall whilst Cornelia dictated the telegram to the clerk and paid for it. She hesitated before she could turn away, mind flashing back to a promise she had made before she returned to America.

There was no time for a proper letter but she had no idea when she would next be near a post office. So Cornelia hastily scrawled a short note to be sent to her parents.

Dear Mother and Father,

I have no time for a full letter so this will have to suffice. I am well and safe. I have yet to achieve my goals but there is hope. It might be some time before I can write again. I trust you are both well.

Your daughter,

Cornelia.

With that letter safely in the hands of the clerk, Cornelia ensured White Moon was still by her side before marching determinedly towards the deputy.

"All done?" Flint asked far too casually as they approached.

"I'm a lady of my word," Cornelia replied impatiently and held out a hand. "My information?"

Deputy Flint gave a wry smile and pulled out a thick envelope bound in twine. Cornelia took it, eyes wide in disbelief and heart slowly sinking in her gut.

"It weren't no joke when I said there was lots of information for you. Folks all over been sendin' word of your man. Doubt any of it will be of use, but who knows? Might be some luck in there somewhere. Anyhow, that's all I have for you. Good day to you, ma'am."

He tipped his hat and strolled away. Cornelia fought the urge to call after him; there was nothing else he could do for her now. Instead, she untied the twine and stared inside the envelope at the plethora of telegrams.

"White Moon, can you read?"

"Some," he said.

"Good. We need to go through every single one of these and try to figure out which one is genuine."

There had to be something. Cornelia refused to believe otherwise. The magic had guided her thus far, surely it would not fail her now! She ran her fingers over the pouch around her neck before pulling out the telegrams and handing half of them to White Moon.

It was arduous work. White Moon was slow in his reading but she trusted his judgement when he put the telegrams aside. She sifted through her own, trying not to grow disheartened. There were many telegrams reporting of an Indian man seen killing a woman, or stealing from a shop – or some other ridiculous crime. Cornelia doubted any of them were true and fought the urge to throw all the telegrams on the ground.

"Cornelia?"

Her head whipped up. White Moon frowned at one telegram, brow furrowed as he tried to shape the words with his mouth. He shook his head and held it out to her.

"Maybe something," he said. "Not sure."

Cornelia took the slip of paper and scanned over the message herself. She faltered, then read it again, slower this time. From a sheriff in Colorado. He had seen a man matching Eli's description south of Pueblo, travelling with a young Indian girl.

Girl? What girl? The hope that had started to rise wavered but Cornelia pushed past it to read the rest of the message. She could ponder over that part later.

The sheriff had spoken of the posters issued by Lady Cornelia Locke. Upon hearing this, the man had raced away, headed for Nebraska.

Cornelia chewed her lower lip and stared hard at the telegram. It sounded like it could be Eli – racing madly to catch up with her was certainly something she had imagined he would do! But she had no way to verify it. And what of this girl that was supposedly travelling with him? Eli did not have any children left, nor had he shown a particular interest in gaining another child.

Better on my own.

Even so, there was something about the message that spoke to her, called to her soul. Cornelia suddenly realised her hands were shaking and she set the telegram down. White Moon reached out to her, his hand hovering nervously over her own as he watched her in concern.

"I'm sorry, I don't …" A lump rose in her throat. Either a sob or a laugh or a combination of the two, Cornelia could not tell. She sucked in a deep breath and touched a hand first to the osprey skull pouch, then the locket.

"That the one?" White Moon asked. Cornelia could only nod, half afraid she was wrong even as she did so. White Moon picked the telegram up, eyes working to read it again.

"Wait, no. We should check all of them. Just to be sure."

Cornelia struggled to read the other telegrams. False leads or wrong descriptions, they all blurred before her eyes as her mind looped back to the other one over and over again. At last the final telegram was placed aside and she let herself take the other one back from White Moon, reading it again.

It had to be Eli. It had to be! Sent by a sheriff, a respectable person in society! If the word of such a man could not be trusted, then there truly was no hope for any of them. Drawing a deep breath, Cornelia closed her eyes and crushed the telegram to her chest.

"This is it, White Moon. It has to be!"

He smiled at her, tentative but hopeful.

"What now?"

Cornelia checked the date on the telegram then fished out her maps and sat down on the steps of the post office. White Moon joined her, both of them ignoring the people that muttered and moved around them in favour of poring over the maps.

"The telegram said Eli was seen around here just under a week ago. Now, assuming he has been travelling fast since then that would put him … around about here. So if we set out today and travel fast ourselves, hopefully we can intercept him … in this area."

She pointed to a spot in the south-west of Nebraska. White Moon frowned.

"There nothing out there. Lot of room to miss him."

"That's why I've got you with me," Cornelia shot back and nudged him. White Moon ducked his head and grinned. "If we get to this location and we can't find any sign of Eli, we'll head to Columbus. Check for him there."

"It'll be long ride," White Moon said as she folded up the maps. Urgency vibrated through her and she fought the desire to go running head-long right now. "We'll need supplies."

"Then we'll get them, and be fast about it. Oh, White Moon! This is it, I can feel it! Magic!"

They moved rapidly from there. Cornelia paid the local blacksmith handsomely for his best but fastest job. Their horses would need to be in top condition for the journey ahead. The general store had most of the supplies they would need and Cornelia wasted no time haggling over price. Her excitement was infectious and White Moon was soon rushing beside her, a bounce in his step and a gleam in his eye.

Laden with food and water for both themselves and the horses, along with blankets, fur coats, and medicinal plants and herbs, Cornelia and White Moon finally mounted up. It did not take long to leave Wichita and they set a steady pace.

Time fell into a frustrating crawl from there. Logically, Cornelia knew they were making good time by pacing the horses as they did but she still chafed at the bit. The days rolled from one to the next. She felt every moment, every second in excruciating detail. If only she could set heel to flank and gallop madly across the plains!

White Moon kept her sane. He sensed her frustration – impossible to miss, truly – and filled the time they spelled the horses with stories of his family and his tribe. Cornelia could not help but notice the similarities between the beliefs of the Cheyenne and the Pawnee. Such thoughts only made her ache all the more for Eli – she wanted to hear that low, smooth voice sharing the stories of his people under the glow of the stars.

The land grew colder with each mile that they travelled north-west. Cornelia struggled to sleep each night. Not because she was too cold, but because her mind worried that Eli was. Irrational, she knew. He had been born on these plains, of course he knew how to survive out here. But these facts did nothing to ease the anxiety plaguing her.

Tension grew in her with each day that dragged by. When the sun rose on the morning of the seventh day, Cornelia felt about ready to snap in half. Both she and White Moon had consulted her maps that morning, and her heart pounded so loud that it rang in her ears now.

If her calculations were correct, they could encounter Eli today! Her blood surged through her veins at the thought and she fought to calm herself – and failed. The landscape was so vast, it would be easy to miss him. Yet she could not stop herself from straining to see into the distance, from whirling to face every noise or flicker of movement.

"Need to relax," White Moon said when they spelled the horses late that morning. "We're on the right path. We will find him. Needs time."

"Oh, I can't! I'm trying, honestly, but this is impossible. He's out here, White Moon. So close I feel like I could touch him! But …" Cornelia shrugged helplessly and bit back the urge to scream in frustration.

White Moon frowned and crouched suddenly, his fingers tracing over the earth. The hairs on the back of Cornelia's neck stood up and she rushed to join him.

"What? What is it? Is it Eli?"

"Not sure," White Moon said. "Horse tracks, but more than one horse. Carrying riders. You want we follow them?"

Cornelia bit her lip, staring around the plains. What if these tracks did not belong to Eli's horse? What if following them took them hours off course? She clutched the locket and bird skull around her neck, desperately seeking the strength of their magic.

"What do you think?" she asked White Moon impulsively. "You said you could find Eli out here, well, now's your chance. If you think it could be him, we'll follow the tracks."

Reckless, perhaps, to put all her trust on the shoulders of a teenage boy. No, White Moon had crossed paths with her again for a reason. Cornelia had to believe that. So she kept her gaze steady on him now and waited for his answer.

"Haven't seen other tracks for long time," he replied. "These are travelling good direction. Could be worth the chance. I think we should follow them."

"Alright. Then we'll follow them."

Mounting up again, they adjusted course and followed the tracks. Time wore on and Cornelia pretended she did not feel the hours tearing at her nerves. As the sun sank lower but not quite to the horizon yet, White Moon stopped abruptly.

"What is it?"

"Tracks are gone. Too many riders, coming from other direction. They're mixed."

Cornelia's horse snorted and fidgeted beneath her, feeding off her nerves. She did not even bother trying to calm the animal; no point if she could not even calm herself. Instead, she watched and waited as White Moon cast further and further afield, trying to pick up the tracks again.

The terrain was rocky, with sharp drops from one shelf to another in random places. White Moon shook his head and Cornelia's heart sank.

"Too much rock," he said. "No tracks to read on rock."

Still, he did not give up. At length, he called out and Cornelia hurried her horse over to him. White Moon had found the tracks again – but they had changed direction.

"What? No! This can't be Eli! Why would he change direction and head away from Columbus?" Cornelia cried in dismay. White Moon shrugged.

"Same horse. No doubt of that. Strange, though. Other tracks all going the same direction. Can't see any heading elsewhere."

Deep dread swept over her. What if something had happened to Eli? No, she couldn't bear it! Being this close to him, only to lose him being only days apart? It was too much!

"How far behind are we?" she asked.

"Not long. An hour or two."

"We can catch that up. Quickly!"

They raced across the terrain, only slowing when White Moon needed to pick up the trail again. The sun sank further, stinging their eyes as it reached to embrace the horizon. Cornelia could not help but notice they were headed straight for Wyoming. Her gut churned at the thought; she had never planned to return there.

When the sun finally hit the horizon and began to sink below, Cornelia caught sight of something ahead of them. A smear, just a blurred smudge at first, but gradually taking shape. Her heart froze then flipped in her chest, her breaths stuttering. She spurred her horse desperately, leaving a surprised White Moon racing to catch up.

The shape became more defined. Silhouetted against the sun and still too far to make out clear details – but she could see enough. Hope began to swell in her chest and she tried to fight it – she might still be wrong – but the magic singing in her veins was too strong to ignore.

She recognised the stride of that horse. The shape upon it could only be that of a person – ??a person with a familiar blanket wrapped around them.

A grin spread across her face and she kicked her horse again, asking for more. Her hat tore off her head but she never felt it leave, too consumed by the horse and rider coming slowly into focus before her. Cornelia sucked in a deep breath and let her voice ring across the plains.

"Eli! Eli!"

The horse ahead of her slowed down, and the figure turned back to face her.

~*~

Eli grew stronger with each day. Red Feather's medicine was just as potent as any he had ever received in his own village, and he never felt even a hint of infection. The pain lessened and mobility returned to his arm. Lifting the saddle onto his horse was still a challenge but Red Feather helped without complaint.

It was an amusing sight; she barely reached higher than his elbow and his horse's wither was higher again. Nor was his saddle light. Yet Red Feather still seized it with grim determination and swung hard to get it over the tolerant horse's back.

Between the two of them, they got the horses saddled and packed each day. Eli pushed them further and harder as his strength returned. Nebraska loomed ahead and he could not shake the thoughts of Cornelia from his mind.

Why had she stayed in America? Why had she not left? And why did she choose now to search for him? Why the delay?

Not to mention her health. Was she well? Eli's heart twisted savagely to think of her, weakening each day as that cruel sickness spread its poison through her veins. Hatred, hot and wild, gripped him without warning and he clenched his teeth, wishing he could bring Melmont back if only to tear him apart, piece by piece, all over again.

It would never be enough. No vengeance could ever right the wrongs that Melmont had wrought on Cornelia – on so many innocent people. Such vile cruelty, such abhorrent wickedness. How could it exist in the same world as a woman so good and kind, who saw the best in others until they saw it too?

Eli had thought himself numb to the violence of humanity. Now he knew better. Every evil act that he witnessed was a wound upon himself – a punishment, justly deserved, for his own apathy. He had not lied when he told Cornelia he was a killer; Eli deserved a slow death for the crimes he had committed. He had expected no less, either at the hands of white men or the hands of his own people, it did not matter.

But then Cornelia crossed his path. She breathed life back into his lungs, renewed his belief in hope. And as they travelled together, he felt the wounds on his soul starting to heal. Eli felt more connected with the man he wanted to be than he had for years. No longer would he ignore the suffering and injustices of his people. Wherever he could, he would right the wrongs and fight for what they were owed.

Starting here, with Red Feather. He couldn't bring her parents back, nor her tribe – but he could protect her, raise her, teach her how to survive.

Eli ignored the doubts that tried to clamour in his mind. He couldn't even keep his own children and wife alive – how could he protect this girl? No point in trying to change the past. Best to keep his eyes forward and fight for the future.

His eyes flicked to Red Feather now. Riding beside him on her dark bay gelding, the wind tousling loose strands of her hair. Wrapped in a dark blue blanket and with her eyes fixed on the endless horizon. As though sensing his gaze on her, Red Feather turned to look at him and raised her brows.

"How long till sunset?" he asked her, eyes flicking towards the sky. Red Feather squinted at the sun before replying.

"Four hours," she said, full of confidence. Eli nodded in approval.

How long until she did not need such skills anymore? How long before the landscape changed so drastically that they went from strangers in their own country, to ghosts? Eli hastily looked away from her and fought to ignore such thoughts.

"Best make use of them," he said and urged his horse on.

They stopped at a watering hole that evening to refill their flasks. Eli longed to push on further but Red Feather was yawning and his shoulder throbbed. So they made camp just over the ridge from the watering hole, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention.

The bounty hunters showed up just before dusk. One moment Eli was relaxing and resting his arm as Red Feather hummed while plaiting her horse's mane. The next, he was on his feet with rifle cocked and aimed in the direction of the whinny he had heard.

It only took a couple of minutes for the bounty hunters to emerge. Riding over the ridge, they drew their reins and stared down at Eli and Red Feather. Four of them. No one said anything. One man reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Yep," he said to his companions. "Sure looks like 'im."

"We're not open to company at our fire," Eli said and heard movement behind him. He did not need to look to know it was Red Feather. Holding her own rifle, probably kneeling to brace the rifle against the saddles.

"What d'ya think? Poster don't say nothin' 'bout no child," said the man to the left of the first. The first man scratched idly behind his ear and shrugged before stuffing the paper back in his pocket.

"Way I see it, the child don't matter. Live or die, she ain't part of the equation. But you." The first man looked up and stared Eli straight in the eye. "Well now. Someone's willin' to pay a lot of money for you."

Cornelia's poster. Stupid, foolish! How could she not think of the consequences of such a thing? Eli shoved those thoughts aside; he had to stay focused right now.

"I know the woman who made that poster," Eli said, careful to keep his tone even. "On my way to see her now. No need for you to get involved."

The first man laughed and shook his head.

"See now, that's where yer wrong. Can't claim the bounty without you."

"Not a bounty," Eli shot back. "Poster only asks for information." He remembered that much from his brief conversation with the sheriff back in Colorado. But what if he was wrong? What if Cornelia had actually issued a proper warrant for him?

No. A poster requesting information was one thing, but a proper bounty? She would never be so foolish!

"Sure," said the first man. "But imagine how much bigger that reward will be when we drag yer hide straight to her ladyship!"

The men cackled and Eli tensed. His mind raced, cataloguing the distance to the horses and the nearest solid cover. Not much, not out here. This part of the prairie was too barren for a gunfight.

"I ain't goin'," he said. "And that lady? She don't want me harmed."

"What makes you think you know anything about what a lady wants?" the second man retorted and the men sniggered again.

"Like I said. I know her. Did her a favour once. I'm not her enemy. So don't push it."

"Clint, I'm getting' real tired of the sound of his heathen voice," said the third man and the others nodded. The first man moved his hand to the pistol on his hip.

"Right you are. Can't say I'm too fond of it, myself."

Eli took a deep breath, adrenaline flooding his veins.

A gunshot cracked across plains. The horses screamed and one reared as the first man toppled from his horse – falling forwards. Eli ignored his bewilderment. He fired at the second man. Red Feather's gun resounded behind him. A bullet whizzed past his ear and he spun, kicking dirt as a distraction as he fired again.

Another gunshot, from neither party. Another man fell. And just like that, the prairie was silent again. Eli stared, on high alert.

There was someone else out here.

He felt the tremor of hoofbeats through the earth before he heard or saw anything. The rider came over the ridge – a lone rider, with a broad hat upon their head. The horse halted and the rider dismounted with rifle in hand.

Eli's heart lurched. The figure was decidedly feminine.

No, it couldn't be! Could it? To find him out here, in this vast wilderness, was surely impossible! Ah, but Cornelia had always claimed they were joined by magic. What else could this be?

The woman stepped closer and Eli's hopes soared – only to crash violently as the firelight reached her.

A black woman, covered in the dust of the road but with a harsh mark of vengeance in her eyes. She cursed the bounty hunters, then lifted her eyes to Eli and Red Feather. Her rifle lowered.

"Don't go mindin' me, you folks," she called out in a voice that was far more amicable than Eli had been expecting. "I ain't here to cause trouble for you. Only for them."

Eli glanced back at Red Feather – relieved to see her alive and whole – then slowly lowered his own rifle. His shoulder twinged with the movement.

"They hurt you?" he asked and the woman nodded.

"Came for my man. Said he'd done some crime, of which he had no hand in! Wouldn't listen when we said so. Dragged him away in the middle of the night. Next I hear, the sheriff strung him up!" The woman bowed her head and made the gesture of the cross over herself. "My Leonard ain't never hurt a fly. What they accused him of weren't nothin' but a lie! So I made a vow to find his killers and bring them to justice. Finally! I done just that!"

With those words, the woman burst into tears. Red Feather came to Eli's side, glancing nervously up at him. He placed a hand on her shoulder in reassurance. For all that this woman had appeared out of nowhere and in a hail of bullets, he did not fear any threats from her. On the contrary, he felt as though he trusted her.

"I'm sorry," the woman said through her sobs. "I … I don't mean to …"

"No rush," Eli said and returned to the campfire. The last of the sunlight had almost completely faded now, and he built the fire up brighter before sitting. Red Feather stared at him as though he was crazy but reluctantly joined him.

The woman slowly composed herself. She took some time to inspect each of the four bodies, muttering curses over them and kicking them on her way. Eli pulled some rations from his pack and set a pot of water to brewing over the fire.

"What are you doin'?" Red Feather hissed at him.

"This woman ain't our enemy," he replied, answering her real concern. "If anything, we got her to thank for getting through this alive."

The woman eventually joined them. Wiping tears from her face and leading her horse by the reins, she smiled at them before picketing her horse off to the side.

"I must say, I didn't expect to meet other folk at the end of all this," she said as she settled on the other side of the campfire. "The name's Beryl. I thank you for lettin' me join you."

"Eli," he said in response but did not offer Red Feather's name. Nor did Beryl ask. "We don't got much food but you're welcome to share it. Didn't expect no help to come out here. Least of all from one such as you."

Beryl laughed and nodded as she brushed down her clothes, as though suddenly self-conscious of her appearance.

"I can't fault you there. Never expected to go out huntin' and killin' men, myself! Yet here I am. Somehow still alive despite all the violence. Got no way to explain that."

I mean that we're here at all. When only this afternoon you were tied up there, I was lying down over there, both about to get killed and yet here we are. And it's everyone else that's dead!

Like it was magic.

Like it is magic.

Eli's hairs stood on end and his heart panged in longing. For a moment, he had heard Cornelia's voice, as clearly as the day she said those words. He swallowed hard and struggled to bring his focus back to Beryl.

"I'm glad you're here, though," Beryl said and smiled at them both through damp eyes. "It's a relief, to not be alone right now. After I lost Leonard …" She bit her lower lip and eventually shook her head. "He would want me to celebrate his life, not stay mournin' his loss. So, celebrate with me! We are all still alive and those lyin' men are dead!"

She produced a bottle of alcohol and was only too eager to share. Eli, in turn, shared their meagre food supplies. He drank sparingly and firmly said no when Red Feather reached for the bottle. Beryl laughed and launched into a story of her own daughter – lost at the tender age of four, many years ago now.

The night deepened and Beryl gradually fell under the sway of the alcohol. When at last she slumped on her side, empty bottle slipping from her fingers, Eli rose and retrieved the blanket from her horse. He laid it over her before going to untack her horse and hobble it with their own.

"Why are you helpin' her?" Red Feather asked, appearing suddenly and quietly by his side. Eli glanced back at Beryl.

"Because it's the right thing to do."

Red Feather said nothing in response to that. Eli headed to the dead men, to drag away the bodies and search their horses before setting them loose. Wordlessly, Red Feather joined him. The grim but necessary work was done in short order, and Eli sent Red Feather to bed when they returned to the fire.

"No," she said stubbornly and shook her head. "Don't wanna sleep, not with that lady here."

"Red Feather, she will sleep till mornin'. You don't need to worry about her."

"It's not just her I'm worried about." She gestured to his shoulder and Eli looked down to see blood seeping through his jacket. He blinked in surprise; he must have popped some stitches during the gunfight but he had felt nothing.

"I'll be fine," he said.

"No," Red Feather repeated. She retrieved her rifle and sat on her bedroll with her back to the fire, eyes scanning the darkness beyond. "You sleep, I'll keep watch."

Affection for this young girl burst through him. Eli sighed and dropped a hand to her head before retiring to his own bedroll. He would not be so foolish as to let himself sleep. All he had to do was wait for Red Feather to doze off, then he would tuck her in and take up his post.

It took longer than he expected. Stubborn to a fault, Red Feather doggedly kept herself awake. Eli realised he was lightly napping and tensed his muscles repeatedly to help shake off his weariness. At last, he looked over to see Red Feather slumped over her rifle, chest rising and falling rhythmically.

Eli carefully removed the rifle and covered her in her blanket. Then he stoked the fire and sat against the saddles to keep watch over the rest of the night.

He was weary come sunrise but that was a small price to pay for keeping them safe. By the time Beryl stirred and groaned over her aching head, both Eli and Red Feather were up and on their way to packing up camp.

"Where will you go?" Eli asked Beryl, once she had shaken off the worst of her fugue and could manage a wry smile.

"Burlington. It's only a half day's ride and I got people there I can trust."

Same direction as them, then. Eli glanced at Red Feather, before telling Beryl she could travel with them that far. Red Feather huffed but offered no other protest. Beryl was quick to accept the offer.

They rode off under the rising sun. Beryl chatted freely – just like Cornelia – and the hours slipped by. Before long, signs of civilisation rose around them and Burlington became a dark smear on the horizon. Beryl thanked them for their assistance, wished them luck, then rode off into the town.

Eli set a faster pace from there. Red Feather seemed grateful for the change in speed as well, urging her gelding to pull out in front of Eli time and time again. They devoured the miles before them, and Eli let his thoughts return to Cornelia.

Not long now. Perhaps another week, maybe a bit longer. Then they would be back in Columbus. He would finally track down Cornelia and get to hold her in his arms – right after he berated her for all her foolish decisions.

It snowed the night before they reached Nebraska. Eli woke in the small hours to the feel of tiny, cold flakes against his skin. Dread twisted through his gut and he lay there for some time, staring up at the cloud-covered sky and wishing he could see the stars.

Red Feather was delighted in the morning, kicking up the snow despite the cold air that made her shiver and hug her arms. Eli let her enjoy the moment, but pushed them harder again when they mounted up once more.

He could not bear the thought of Cornelia out here in this. With her health and how harsh this environment could be, winter on the plains could very easily be the death of her.

Still, the snow did not linger. It melted away under the fierce sun, leaving only muddy soil behind to mark its presence.

"How much further?" Red Feather asked in a whine one day. They had not been in Nebraska for long but their increased pace was clearly taking its toll on her.

"Week still to Columbus," he replied. Red Feather sighed dramatically and Eli brought his horse to a halt. She glanced up hopefully as she did the same. "We'll rest here. 'Bout time for lunch, anyhow."

Red Feather happily jumped down and flopped on her back. Eli rolled his eyes and smoothly dismounted. The terrain was rocky around here, with random drops from one plateau outcrop down to another. High up as they were, it gave them a good vantage point to see for miles around. Eli felt comforted by this and loosened his horse's cinch. Red Feather had the right idea. A break would benefit them both.

They ate and drank and lounged on the hard ground. Eli found himself drifting and fought to keep himself away – but the warm sun lulled him, and the sound of Red Feather humming soothed him.

He was not aware of falling asleep, nor how long he slept. One moment he was blissful and relaxed despite the gnawing desire to find Cornelia. The next, Red Feather's sharp cries brought him crashing back to awareness.

"Eli! Someone's coming!"

He leapt to his feet, all remnants of sleep instantly gone. Red Feather pointed in the direction they had come from and he saw the shape of riders easily enough. His gut soured and he reached for his rifle.

"Get your gun. Then get on your horse." His words were short and clipped. Red Feather rushed to obey. Eli tightened the cinch on his own horse and mounted up before looking back to the riders.

They were approaching hard and fast. Only moments away now. And from the size of that cluster, there was a lot of them. Even as he watched, some of the riders broke away. They spread out, as though they knew they had their quarry cornered.

As though they had been tracking them for some time.

Eli looked around the environment again. Not a lot of options, not with them being up on a plateau like this. The drops from one outcrop to the one below were not too dizzying, but certainly too high for a horse. Their only other option was running – but to where?

With this many riders this close behind them, running would only delay the inevitable. If he was on his own, Eli would not hesitate. He knew how hard and for how long he could push his horse. But Red Feather was already weary. To push her that hard would be to kill her.

The cold weight of dread spread through his gut and he cocked his rifle. He never should have let himself fall asleep. If only he had stayed awake, he would have seen the riders long before they could get this close. They would have been able to slip away and keep a large enough distance to keep themselves safe.

But now? Now they were left with no options, all because of his foolishness.

The riders slowed as they got closer. They had fanned out wide enough to cut off all escape save for over the edge of the plateau. Red Feather trembled in her saddle, her rifle shaking in her hands. Eli swallowed down bile as he wondered which of them these men would kill first. Would he have to watch another daughter die before his eyes? Or would she have to watch another father bleed out at her feet?

Ten men surrounded them, halting a good twenty metres away. Eli's horse snorted and shifted beneath him, sensing the danger and longing to escape. Eli let the animal move without complaint, instead training his rifle on the central man.

A man he recognised, he realised with a start.

Trooper Cam McKewan.

Just you remember, in there you been one of us. But out here … you're one of them.

"Sergeant Whipp," McKewan called out. "Now this is a day I never thought would come."

"Why you followin' me?" Eli shot back. McKewan had the grace to look bashful.

"Ah, yeah. I'm sorry 'bout that. But orders are orders. I might not be in the army no more but it seems I can't quite shake the habit."

Eli let his harsh gaze drift from face to face, memorising them all and taking note of how tense they were. Four of the ten were focused on Red Feather and he carefully suppressed the instinctive reactions to protect her.

There was nothing he could do for her anymore. Against these numbers? Not even his skills could keep them alive in this fight.

"Takin' me in? Or bleedin' me here?" Eli asked.

"There's someone who wants to see you," McKewan replied and Eli felt a wash of relief that he was not about to die.

"I know. The lady who made those posters-"

"This ain't no lady," McKewan interrupted him. A cold fist closed around Eli's heart. "I doubt if you even know him. But he knows you. And he wants you brought to him. Alive. For now."

Eli kept his rifle aimed straight at McKewan.

"Why?"

"I ain't paid to know that. Just bring you in. Better me than anyone else. Given our history and all … it was the hope that you would come easy."

Eli glanced them all over again, considering his options even though he knew how limited they were. Beside him, Red Feather's breath hitched in her throat.

"No," she whispered and Eli's heart ached in his chest. He understood her fear. After what had happened to her parents … But what other choice was there? If Eli fought back, they would die.

"The girl?" he asked and McKewan shrugged.

"Got no orders for her. You want her with you, we'll bring her, too. S'long as she behaves."

Eli did not want that, not at all.

"You'll leave her be," he said firmly, flexing the sergeant tone that he had not used in months. "Send her on her way. And I'll come quiet."

"No!" Red Feather cried. McKewan scratched his chin and nodded.

"Sounds fair to me. Now put down that rifle."

"No! Eli!"

"Put down your rifle, Red Feather," Eli ordered in a low voice. She stared at him, horrified and betrayed. "We got no choice. Do it now."

Slowly, lower lip quivering violently, Red Feather obeyed. Eli lowered his own and slowly placed it back in the saddle holster. Next, he smoothly dismounted and motioned for Red Feather to stay where she was. Tears began to fill her eyes.

The men pressed in closer, several of them dismounting and coming towards Eli with rope. He stepped back, shaking his head and gesturing towards Red Feather.

"No. Let her go first."

The men glanced back to McKewan, who nodded then waved his hand at Red Feather in a dismissing motion.

"Get out of here, girl. Quickly. While you still can."

The tears spilled over and she shook her head rapidly. Eli's heart sank as she abruptly clambered off her horse and ran to him, sobbing. He grasped her shoulders as she threw her arms around him, holding him tight with all her might.

"No, no, please! Don't go!" Her words flowed on in her own language, too fast for Eli to catch any common phrases. Not that he needed to; her meaning was clear.

Eli hugged her firmly then began to pry her off. He had to do this, for her own sake.

Two of the men stepped in to assist. Red Feather screamed and flailed, kicking blindly to drive them off. She tightened her hold on Eli and his heart raced in his chest, eyes scouring the men for signs of violence. There was only so long they would tolerate this.

Red Feather shifted her left arm. Eli understood the movement a moment too late.

She tore away from him, wrenching his dagger from its back sheath as she went. Red Feather shouted a war cry as she turned on the men, slashing and stabbing with a vengeance. They cried out and leapt back but not before the dagger tasted blood. Eli lunged for – but found himself seized and dragged back.

"No! Red Feather, stop!"

She scored a wound across one man's arm, then slashed across another's hand. All the men were crowding in now, several holding Eli by the arms and shoulders as he fought to escape them – fought to protect his daughter.

One large man moved into the fray. He kicked out and Red Feather screamed, clutching her hand as the dagger flew from her grasp. She looked up with murder in her bloodshot eyes, and lunged.

"Stop!" Eli shouted and struggled harder. The last stitches in his shoulder burst open and blood slicked his clothes.

The large man deflected her with ease, knocking her to the ground. Red Feather leapt up, attacking wildly again. The man growled, then shoved her, hard.

Red Feather flew through the air. She crashed onto her back and skidded wildly across the hard stone. Eli yelled and strained to break free. Red Feather scrabbled at the ground but her eyes widened as –

The edge of the plateau disappeared beneath her. She fell, a high pitched scream ringing in her wake. Eli screamed back and thrashed madly.

A dull thud cut off Red Feather's cries. Eli strained harder and the hands on his body suddenly lost their grip. He surged up, fighting to run – but the hands crashed down on him again. Curses fell on his ears but he never heard them. Fists slammed into him and his knees were kicked in, driving him to the ground.

The large man walked to the edge of the plateau. He stared down to the shelf below, snorted in cruel amusement, and stepped back.

"Ain't gonna be no trouble from that one anymore," he sneered and a couple of other men laughed.

No! This couldn't be happening! Eli struggled again but there were ropes on his wrists now, binding them tight. He sucked in a deep breath and shouted her name, his voice echoing off the canyons.

Nothing.

McKewan walked to the edge and peered over. The large man shook his head.

"No point. That heathen belongs to the vultures now."

A groan escaped Eli and he sagged as all the fight went out of him. Dirt filled his mouth but he could not care. Hands dragged at him and he let them, too numb to struggle. He had failed. All these days and weeks thinking he could be a father again, that he could finally protect one child – all for nothing.

Eli found himself thrown over the back of a horse. Within moments, all the men had mounted up and were riding off, taking him with them. He caught sight of one man astride a familiar horse – Red Feather's horse. Pain stabbed through him and Eli wished they had just killed him. His own horse was nowhere to be seen but he did not care, not anymore.

Head falling against the warm body of the horse, Eli cursed himself and wished bitterly that he had fought till the end.

[tacticalhimbo]

🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️ In honor of TDOV, and me not having any artistic muse, here's a list of my trans characters! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️

Ambrose Walten (SCP) - Nonbinary

Artemis Riveros (Outer Worlds) - Nonbinary

Briar Fontenot (Resident Evil) - Agender

Dolores Nieves/Vix (FCND) - Nonbinary Butch / Trans Masculine

Eden Shepard (Mass Effect) - Trans Woman

Ezra Vaugn (Fallout) - Nonbinary / Trans Femme

Faye Choi (GTA) - Trans Woman

Hyejin Ch'on (Squid Game) - Nonbinary / Agender

Iseul Park (Disco Elysium) - Trans Woman

Jean Baptise Dominique (CP2077) - Genderqueer Femme / X-Gender

Jody Knapp (SDV) - Genderqueer / Trans Masculine

Marian Hawke (Dragon Age) - Trans Woman

Matteo Pichette (SCP) - Agender

Maxwell Hill (Watch Dogs) - Trans Man

Mickey Araceli de León (Saints Row) - Trans Woman

Nova Houston (Calico) - Trans Femme

Orion Viklund (CP2077) - Trans Man

Paul Kenneth Wilson (Faith: The Unholy Trinity) - Trans Man

Rachelle O'Byrne (GTA) - Trans Woman

Rayford Douglass (Fallout) - Trans Man

Rhys Meyer/Ghost (GTA) - Trans Masculine / Nonbinary

Ryan Zaragoza (CP2077) - Trans Woman

Shepard James Fleming (Fallout) - Trans Man

Ti-Sai Zhang/Vasily (R6S) - Nonbinary

Tomo Otsune (Fallout) - Nonbinary

Valentin Quixote/Valefar (Faith: The Unholy Trinity) - Trans Masculine / Unlabeled

Vera Lynn (CP2077) - Trans Woman

Vincent Hale (CP2077) - Genderqueer Man / Trans Masculine

Virgil Hendrix (Saints Row) - Trans Man / Gender Outlaw

Wendy Curtis (Fallout) - Trans Woman

Xaveir Harrell (COD) - Trans Man

Zakari Marshall (FCND) - Two Spirit / Trans Man

Zamira Nyokabi (Indie) - Trans Woman

Also feel free to ask me about any of them!

[thelensofyashunews]

WILLIE NELSON TO RELEASE ALBUM FRIDAY MAY 31

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Willie Nelson's new studio album The Border in all configurations on Friday, May 31.

Willie Nelson's The Border will be available digitally, on CD and black vinyl. Meanwhile Barnes & Noble will be offering an exclusive LP edition of The Border, pressed on orange vinyl and there will be an exclusive vinyl version offered on Willie’s D2C store that includes a 12” x 12” designed lyric book featuring the gorgeous album artwork with extensive listening notes by noted writer Mikal Gilmore and photos by Pamela Springsteen. All versions are available for pre-order HERE

The album's title track - Willie's insightful interpretation of Rodney Crowell's "The Border" - is available on all DSPs today (Thursday, March 14): HERE

Cowritten by Rodney Crowell and Allen Shamblin for Crowell's 2019 Texas album (a thematic tribute to the Lone Star State which featured guest artist Willie Nelson), "The Border" describes the inner life and outer reality of a border guard ("I work on the border, I see what I see") with Crowell's composition described in Rolling Stone as "more humanist than political, but no less tragic because of it." Willie's wise worldly take on the provocative song taps into an urgent universal relevancy that defines The Border.

The Border (his 152nd album, according to Texas Monthly's interactive All Willie Nelson Albums Ranked list) premieres 10 newly recorded Willie Nelson studio performances including four new Willie Nelson/Buddy Cannon compositions--"Once Upon a Yesterday," "What If I'm Out of My Mind," "Kiss Me When You're Through" and "How Much Does It Cost"--and "Hank's Guitar," a new song cowritten by Buddy Cannon and Bobby Tomberlin.

In keeping with his longstanding tradition of shining a light on country music's finest songwriters, Willie rounded out The Border, his first album in 2024, with his versions of compositions by Larry Cordle & Erin Enderlin ("I Wrote This Song for You"), Rodney Crowell & Will Jennings ("Many a Long and Lonesome Highway"), Shawn Camp & Monty Holmes ("Made in Texas") and Mike Reid ("Nobody Knows Me Like You").

Produced by longtime musical collaborator Buddy Cannon, The Border showcases Willie Nelson (lead vocals, Trigger) accompanied by Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Bobby Terry (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar), James Mitchell (electric guitar), Jim "Moose" Brown (Wurlitzer, B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer), Fred Eltringham (drums, percussion) and Barry Bales (upright bass); backing vocals are by Buddy Cannon, and Melonie Cannon. The Border features cover art depicting the Big Bend border area between Texas and Mexico.

Willie Nelson and friends are enjoying this year's Luck Reunion today and will be performing at the 2024 Stagecoach Country Music Festival at Empire Polo Field in Indio, California, on Saturday, April 27.

Willie Nelson & Family will be on the road from June through September co-headlining the Outlaw Music Festival Tour 2024. With an all-star lineup featuring Willie, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, John Mellencamp, Billy Strings and more, this year's Outlaw Music Festival promises a once-in-a-lifetime epic musical experience.

[icybevybev]

Tagged by @earth2exoplanet 💕 for the tag game to get to know 9 Tumblrinas better! (Thankyou!)

Last Song: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song

Fav color: that cotton candy pink &blue that comes with the sunrise ⛅️

Last movie/TV show: hubby &I just watched the X-men trilogy this past week/weekend &tv show was RHONY

Sweet/spicy/savory: sweet, I love anything chocolate especially!

Relationship status: happily married to the love of my life

Last thing googled: newborn clear milk spit up (had to make sure it was normal, it is)

Current obsession: besides my newborn twins who are so adorable🥰 I’ve been binging real housewives of NY (love watching other people’s drama since I have none lol)

Last book: been trying to finish H.G. Wells Time Machine for months now😬 life’s just a little to hectic rn

Looking forward to: seeing what amazing people my babies are going to grow up to be &to also be past this 3under 3 stage (it’s super rough)

Tagging: @aditchfullofchickens @pumpkinsae @liberty-outlaw @staycoolbutstillcare @cozyjuniperbreeze @gods-beauty @shea-like-the-butter @balancingpieces feel free to ignore, no pressure!

[heymacy]

what do you mean "one day" you write how mickey's the wild west outlaw archetype... write it now bitch!! (please i say this with love, i've been fascinated with that comparison- and agree with it- ever since i saw your tags!!)

bitch (affectionate) 👏🏼 and okay yes let’s get in to it! disclaimer: this is probably going to be long, i did study film in school for two and a half years before switching my major (which i deeply regret) and i study history now, so the pretentious film student vibes are probably gonna come out swinging and i apologize for that. full incoherent rambling below the cut!

so, the wild west outlaw archetype is one that most people are familiar with, since the "western” genre has existed for over a century in Hollywood. in fact, the first time someone described a film as a “western” was in 1912 in Motion Picture World Magazine, though the first acknowledged “western” film was made in 1899. these films are typically set in the late 1800s during the westward expansion in America (or as i like to call it, “white people stay displacing indigenous groups with their manifest destiny bullshit”). there are very clear and distinct archetypes present in this genre, as with most genres (one day i’ll talk about rom-com archetypes because i find them fascinating). traditionally, there are 8 archetypes aside from the “outlaw”:

The True Cowboy

The Gunslinger

The Gambler

The Preacher

The Doc

The Sheriff

The Drunk

The Tycoon

each of these character archetypes has unique characteristics and motivations. sometimes there are overlaps between archetypes, such as the The Drunk and The Gambler, or The Gunslinger and The Doc. 

what’s unique about The Outlaw (we are now using capital letters, ooooo) is that they don’t fall in to any one category from the list above. rather, they embody a sense of resistance or pushback against expansion and modernization of western territories. to The Outlaw and his ragtag gang of ruffians, the west is an infinitely better place when the colonizers aren’t there (even though they themselves are colonizers - we love a solid sense of self awareness lol). because of this, they often go to great lengths to upset the balance of whatever little town they’re in, in hopes that the settlers will abandon their homesteading and return to the east, allowing for the outlaws to exist free of their inherent oppression (aka, we wanna do crime and these assholes won’t let us)

now let’s get in to shameless. at its core, it’s a show about family, poverty, struggle, and love. there are, however, MANY parallels between the running storylines in the series and the classic western film. gentrification is this century’s westward expansion, with the wealthy and the privileged moving their families to “unknown lands” (the Southside) to buy up property and transform the landscape in to something reminiscent of where they were raised. enter stage left, coffee shops and yoga studios, the modern day saloons and haberdasheries. someone is always stealing something, tagging something with spray paint, intimidating the transplants and upper middle class yuppies, all in an attempt to prevent their home (for The Outlaw, the real “wild” west is his home) from becoming a watered-down version of itself, rife with hipsters, this century’s colonizers in many ways.

using this logic, we could see the entirety of the Southside population, the locals at least, as The Outlaw, but i think that would be short-sighted, since the archetype of The Outlaw is centered around the disruption and destruction of the transforming cultural landscape (see: Mickey’s actions in season 5, his animosity towards Lip, who he saw for a long time as a fellow outlaw, for siding with the enemy and going off to college). not everyone on the Southside is going to have the same central motivation and trajectory as the TRUE outlaw. in fact, i would argue that the majority of the Southside is made up of Gunslingers, which do often overlap with The Outlaw in westerns, specifically ones from the 30s and 40s where The Outlaw is also the guy with the “fastest draw in the west”

now in western films, The Outlaw is almost always the antagonist, the character that gets in the way of the True Cowboy’s journey to self-fulfillment and happiness, and we’re supposed to hate him for it. we’re SUPPOSED to think he’s crass and violent and out of line and a stain on the fabric of society. rarely did westerns delve in to The Outlaw as a fully-fleshed out character. however, the rising popularity of “sympathetic outlaws”, aka outlaws we don’t think are entirely terrible or who have motivations behind their actions that we can empathize with (see: Bonnie and Clyde) has led Hollywood to produce films in which The Outlaw is a sympathetic character, not just a tool used to further the central character’s storyline. it’s a very similar phenomenon to the rise of villain/anti-hero popularity. i think we see this most ostentatiously in the Star Wars universe, with the “light side vs. dark side” debate and so many people meta-ing the hell out of characters like Anakin Skywalker, Ben Solo, and other characters that we’re SUPPOSED to dislike for their heinous actions but we just...don’t? at least not as much as we’re supposed to. of course there are exceptions to the rule, and people who just hate “bad” characters blindly (pea brain energy right there folks).

Mickey Milkovich is the perfect encapsulation of The Sympathetic Outlaw. he is an instantly interesting, compelling character with unique motivations. our first impression of him is when he and his brothers are on their way to the Kash and Grab to beat up Ian for “assaulting” Mandy - like our VERY FIRST impression of him is this dirty, dangerous little gremlin who steals from the shop owner and terrorizes the neighborhood. if shameless were a western, mickey and his brothers would be the “Terrifying Milkoviches”, known and feared throughout the land, riding in to town on their horses, stopping at the general store to steal bread and beer before pistol whipping the store owner (Kash) and tormenting the shop boy (Ian).

The Outlaw is, at his core, a character that is resistant to change, who uses fear and violence to get his way, and who is well-known but not well-liked. sound like anybody we know? yeah, i thought it might!

even though The Outlaw is often feared by locals, settlers, and indigenous folks alike, there is also a unique dynamic between The Outlaw and the townspeople they torment, and it usually appears in the townspeople vs. Big Oil conflict that is prevalent in MANY westerns throughout history. in comes Mr. Handlebar-Mustache-Bolo-Tie-Oil-Tycoon ready to rip his way through the little town in the west so he can build his railroad or drill for oil. the townsfolk are taught to believe that this man is doing so for the betterment of their livelihoods, allowing the town to grow and expand and be an “important spot on the map” for travelers. however, when The Tycoon’s presence disrupts their lifestyles and stability, as it always does, the townspeople very quickly become pretty okay with The Outlaw fucking up Mr. Handlebar-Mustache-Bolo-Tie-Oil-Tycoon’s day. there is this unspoken alliance between The Outlaw (Mickey) and the townspeople (the Southside), where they acknowledge the potential damage The Outlaw could rain down on their little homestead, but usually decide to risk it to prevent more significant damage from Mr. Mustache. thus, a tense but consistent alliance is often formed, giving way to the “Revisionist Western” genre, or modern westerns with primarily sympathetic outlaws.

when everything is said and done, The Outlaw is a symbol of resistance, resourcefulness, and realism. The Outlaw doesn’t like change, and he fights it at every turn. he is thrifty and skilled, which contributes to his fearsome reputation. he is highly realistic, and will often clash with more idealistic characters (see: “do you have anything resembling an imagination in that fuckin’ skull of yours?” “...no. i like facts. things that are real. shit i can hold. like a gun!” / 11x04)

ultimately, Mickey Milkovich is a modern retelling of the classic Outlaw archetype, feared by many but loved by viewers. he is highly critical of the upper classes, grounded in realism, and sympathetic in his plight. he goes up against “the man” like it’s in his fucking DNA, which is why we love him so much. we all love The Outlaw, whether we want to admit it or not. we may not condone all of their actions, but we recognize where their motivations come from and are able to empathize, which only strengthens our love of the wildly misunderstood shit-stirrer that is Outlaw Mickey.

[wahoothis]

Here’s three more sets of my recently done pixels for more DRRPS I’m in. The first row is dubbed “Cartoonronpa”. As the title implies, 16 animated characters, anime/manga, and comic characters are placed in a Killing Game setting. Here’s the cast and their Ultimate Talents: Mickey Mouse- Ultimate Entertainer (Disney) [My character I’m playing] Molly Blyndeff- Ultimate Inscribed (Epithet Erased) Vagatha- Ultimate Hotel Manager (Hazbin Hotel) Dave Strider- Ultimate DJ/Time Traveler (Homestuck) Flicker- Ultimate Squire (Blazing Dragons) (Might update this later to fix, forgot the wings) Chalchiutlicue "Calamity"- Ultimate Aquamancer (No Evil) Equius Zahhak, Ultimate Robotician (Homestuck) Laura "X-23" Kinney- Former Ultimate Weapon (Marvel) Yasuna Oribe- Ultimate Survivor (Kill Me Baby) Katsuki Bakugou- Ultimate Pro-Hero! (My Hero Academia) Fenneko- Ultimate SNS Stalker (Aggretsuko) Violet Evergarden- Ultimate Soldier/Auto Memories Doll (Violet Evergarden) Ryan Akagi- Ultimate Guitarist (Infinity Train) Lop- Ultimate Swordswoman (Star Wars) Charlotte "Charlie" Magne- Ultimate Princess (Hazbin Hotel)

It’s postponed at the moment, it hasn’t started at the moment. But the bottom row’s RP has started. That RP’s Kiwironpa: Rebirth. 18 people from different times and worlds noclip out of reality, and find themselves in the Backrooms, which holds not just deadly monsters that could kill them, but also a Killing Game. . . In this, none of the characters have Ultimates, but the general consensus is the same. The cast of this Killing game is: Zote (Hollow Knight) Chicken (Nuclear Throne) Sucrose (Genshin Impact) Kizuna Tomori (Danganronpa Another) Vanessa (Five Nights At Freddy's: Security Breach) [My character I’m playing] Dr. Drakken (Kim Possible) Albedo (Genshin Impact) Tsumugi Shirogane (Danganronpa V3) Dave Suss Moogus (VS Dave and Bambi) SCP-105/Iris Thompson (SCP Foundation) Captain Goomba (Mario) Scott C./Phone Guy (Five Nights At Freddy's) King Knight (Shovel Knight) Rin (Muse Dash) BMO (Adventure Time) Copen (Azure Striker Gunvolt) Amon (The Legend Of Korra) Cerebella (Skullgirls)

It’s recently start, and so far it’s been a blast lol. The last row is for a DRRP called Wagerronpa. 16 recently deceased participants, whether they remember dying or not, all find themselves in a casino in hell. And like other KGs, they’re told the age old mantra: Kill each other, and get away with it. This cast is: Walter White- Ultimate Chemist/Drug Kingpin (Breaking Bad) Red Velvet Cookie- Ultimate Military General (Cookie Run) Ayame Hatano- Ultimate Sprinter (Danganronpa Another) [My character I’m playing] Cotton Candy Cookie- Ultimate Writing Prodigy (Cookie Run) Frisk- Ultimate Pacifist (Undertale) Deathcry- Ultimate Warrior (Marvel) Yuri Honjo- Ultimate Lucky Student/God Candidate (High Rise Invasion) Xiao- Ultimate Yaksha (Genshin Impact) Chara Dreemurr- Ultimate Narrator (Undertale) Mayuko Nise- Ultimate Survivor (High Rise Invasion) Giovanni Potage- Ultimate Supervillain/Talentless (Epithet Erased) Peter Quill- Ultimate Outlaw (Marvel) Morgana- Ultimate Phantom Thief (Persona 5) Pure Vanilla Cookie- Ultimate Leader (Cookie Run) Kohaku- Ultimate Maid (Tsukihime) Berdly- Ultimate Brainiac/Talentless (Deltarune) Hope you guys like these pixels.

[popculturebuffet]

June Review Schedule!

Hello all you happy people. So while I prepare to wrap up my may reviews with A Goofy Movie, I thought i’d be neat to try and show off my schedule for a change. While it is ALWAYS sitting there on my blog it may be hard to see for people on mobile. If this is your first time seeing my blog, my name is Jake and I review cartoons and comics. And this is what I have planned for June!

This month is Pride Month! Like last year I intend to celebrate with a ton of queer content though unlike last year, where I did the Saluna arc of Loud House and the Rednid Arc of OK K.O., this year’s a bit more freeform since I really DON’T have an arc that fits into what slots I have avaliable. 

But that dosen’t mean this year’s pride selectoins are any less awesome:We’ve got the start of what will be at LEAST a year long look at one of my faviorite comics of all time (After an attempt to do that for New X-men has kinda fallen through, though I will try and finish that at some point), with Transformers: More than Meets The Eye. It’s Gay Robots, it’s space opera, it’s a bunch of misfit weirdos trying to do good in a cruel universe who happen to be giant robots. it was built for me. 

After that we some trips to the Owl House: a trip back to season one for Amity’s gay Panic attacks, then REGULAR COVERAGE of Season 2, with a new review every week except the first week of july, i’m on vaction, and that episode covered the week i get back. If that wasn’t enough for you, next up to bat is The Mask, my faviorite Courage the Cowardly dog episode rife with gay subtext, chiling domestic abuse and a serious examinaton of Eustace and Muriel’s relationship. Following that I  have one of two looks at Queer Duck, a 2000′s flash cartoon made by a well meaning straight guy. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

Finally we have two big swings: A look at the first VoxMore episode as purple boy meets cyborg also boy while said cyborg has kidnapped purple boy’s son. And biggest of all a look at the best 12 episodes of one of the best shows of the 2010′s, i’ts my top 12 episodes of She Ra and the Princesses of Power! For the Honor of Greyskull baby!

Queerness isn’t the only thing i’m celebrating this month though as with my boy Donald’s birthday, i’m having another theme week! It’s Donald Duck week! That means a look at two Quack Pack episodes that were bundled together on VHS (God Help me), another shortstacular (and if you want to pick a short for it you have FOUR DAYS LEFT so HIT UP MY PATREON NOW and pledge at least a dollar to pick a short!, a look at Donald and Della’s adventures with Scrooge before the Spear of Selene Incident via the magic of mediocre comics!, a house of mouse episode featuring a black and white duck who likes sammiches, and some classic carl barks to finish us off as Donlad Goes on Vacation.

Other reviews this month including my continued look at the Season 2 arcs of Ducktales, the Danny Phantom episodes that lead to Reign Storm, Green Eggs and Ham and the Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck. In addition to that I finish my look at the Scott Pilgrim comics with his finest hour, and the Ducktales pilot mini treasure of the golden sun with some artcitc adventures and gold fever,  dive deep into Final Space with it’s Third Season, and finally celebrate Sonic’s Birthday by making everything archie. So join me for some summer fun won’t you?

5/31 Ducktales: The Outlaw Scrooge McDuck Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye: Liars A To D Danny Phantom: Public Enemies The Owl House: Wing it Like Witches Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour Ducktales 87: Cold Duck and Too Much of a Gold Thing 6/6 Quack Pack: Ducks Amuck (Ducky Dearest and All Hands on Deck) Donald Duck Birthday Special 2: Electric Waughaloo Ducktales: Della in Comics House of Mouse: Dennis the Duck Carl Barks: Vacation Time The Owl House: Separate Tides 6/13 Final Space Season 3 Ducktales: Whatever Happened to Della Duck?! Courage the Cowardly Dog: The Mask Queer Duck Top 12 She Ra and the Princesses of Power Episodes The Owl House: Escaping Expulsion 6/20 House of Mouse: Everybody Loves Mickey Top 12 Archie Sonic the Hedgehog Stories Ducktales:The 87 Cent Solution Green Eggs and Ham: Fox Ok KO: We’re Captured The Owl House: Echoes of the Past 6/27 Ducktales: The Golden Spear Queer Duck: The Movie Ducktales: Nothing Can Stop Della Duck! Life and Times: The Dreamtime Duck of Never Never Ducktales: Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!

[thetimelordbatgirl]

DC OCs Masterpost

New Titans Verse:

The New Titans: Summary of Series: TBA.

Name: Sparrow/Primrose ‘Prim’ Davis.  Side: Good.  Love Interest: Jadestar/Tessond’r.  Voiceclaim: Hailee Steinfeld. 

Name: Jadestar/Tessond’r.  Side: Good.  Love Interest: Sparrow/Primrose ‘Prim’ Davis.  Voiceclaim: Christina Valenzuela. 

Name: Dark Omen/Coraline Cameron.  Side: Good.  Voiceclaim: Sofia Wylie. 

Name: Tidebreaker/Rickey Dalton.  Side: Good.  Love Interest: Night Bolt/Esmeralda Tindol.  Voiceclaim: Seth Green. 

Name: Seaspray/Mickey Dalton. Side: Good.  Voiceclaim: Brandon Mychal Smith. 

Name: Timber/Silas Alexander. Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: Mark Hamill.

Name: Bloodwing/Tobias Cameron. Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: Josh Keaton. 

Name: Razor/Varick Joseph.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: Booboo Stewart. 

Name: Firehunter/Iando’r.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: Sean Astin. 

Name: Karma/Serenity Carrier.  Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Green Lantern/Danielle ‘Dani’ Archer.  Side: Good.  Love Interest: Hawkwing/Ketor Vael.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Kaisa/Aurora Raymond.  Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Jumpbug/Carlos Hernandez.  Side: Good.  Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Wasp/Christian Mennings.  Side: Good.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Hawkwing/Ketor Vael.  Side: Good.  Love Interest: Green Lantern/Danielle ‘Dani’ Archer. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Silver Hornet/Baxter Harkmen.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Seeloh.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Keres/Natalie Lewis.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Mind Bender/Hailey Baker.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Hawkmoth. Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: BA.

Name: Lazeph.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Samara.  Side: Good.  Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Night Bolt/Esmeralda Tindol.  Side: Neutral.  Love Interest: Tidebreaker/Rickey Dalton. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Ember Girl/Hestia Sonnet.  Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Frost Boy/Aspen Sonnet.  Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Vine Master/Wilfred Romer. Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Dark Shade/Terrence Vixen.  Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Falling Inside The Black: Summary of Series: TBA.

Name: Black Hood/Andrea Kyle.  Side: Neutral.  Love Interest: Balthazar/Eric Larson.  Voiceclaim: Selina Gomez. 

Name: Balthazar/Eric Larson. Side: Neutral. Love Interest: Black Hood/Andrea Kyle.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Storm Girl/Connie Heck.  Side: Neutral.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Trick Girl/June Driver.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Purple Obsidian/Dorothy ‘Dot’ Dixon.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Malestorm/Percy Heck.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

The New Outlaws: Summary of Series: TBA. 

Name: Cybershot/Violet Davenport.  Side: Good.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Fantasia/Cameron Parsons. Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Rosethorn/Julia ‘Julie’ Heyde.  Side: Good. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Warped/Karl Findley.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Magnum/Jared Newton.  Side: Evil. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Darkstar. Side: Evil.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Stories in their own universes:

Heroes of Gotham Academy (Next Gen): Summary of Series: TBA. 

Name: Robin/Dalia Wayne.  Parent(s): Damien Wayne and Mia/Maps Mizoguchi.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Martin Wayne.  Parent(s): Damien Wayne and Mia/Maps Mizoguchi.  Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Purple Starling/Kale Grayson.  Parent(s): Dick Grayson and Starfire.  Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Oscar Mizoguchi.  Parent(s): Olive Silverlock and Kyle Mizoguchi.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Supergirl/Joy Kent. Parent(s): Jon Kent. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Dark Aura/Freddy Ray. Parent(s): Pomeline Fritch and Heathcliff Ray.  Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Mind Girl/Willow Quinn-Isley.  Parent(s): Harley Quinn and Pamela Isley (adopted). Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Gavin Rivera.  Parent(s): Colton Rivera.  Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Patrick Karlo.  Parent(s): Katherine Karlo (Adopted). Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Erin Jorgenson.  Parent(s): Eric Jorgenson.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Victoria Grey.  Parent(s): Tristen Grey.  Voiceclaim: TBA.

Next Justice League: Heroes of Tomorrow (DC version of Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow): Summary of first book: Whenever the forces of evil have threatened mankind, Earth's First Line of Defense, The Justice League, were there to stop them- until they made the ultimate sacrifice in their final fight with the New God, Steppenwolf. Now the time has come for the children of the Justice League to rise as the new heroes of tomorrow and to avenge their parents' deaths. Holly (daughter of Batman and Catwoman), Damen (son of Wonder Woman), Lara (daughter of Superman), Nora (daughter of the Flash) and the arrow-slinging daughter of Green Arrow and Black Canary along with the will powered daughter of Green Lantern have to come together along with any help they get to finish Steppenwolf off as the next Justice League! Quotev Link

Summary of second book: In wake of the defeat of the New God, Steppenwolf, the world is slowly being freed from the control of Parademons, as the new Justice League are slowly working on returning the world back to normal. But, just as they think they on the route to a better world, another New God named Darkseid, arrives and plans to take over, with the new Justice League being at the top of his enemies list. Having to face a new enemy, the new Justice League, with the help of new allies, find themselves facing the ultimate test as the new Justice League. Quotev Link

Name: Holly Wayne.  Parent(s): Batman and Catwoman. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Damen.  Parent(s): Wonder Women. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Lara Kent. Parent(s): Superman and Lois Lane. Voicclaim: TBA.

Name: Nora Allen. Parent(s): Flash and Iris West. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Green Arrow II/Layla Queen.  Parent(s): Green Arrow and Black Canary. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Green Lantern/Nova Jordan. Parent(s): Green Lantern and Carol Ferris. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Young Justice: Legacy:  Summary of Series: Its the year 2036, and by then, the YJ team that had once been founded by so called sidekicks had become fledged heroes, some in the Justice League, some still solo, and some having retired already- and all in their own way have their families. When a new Lantern ring flies to Earth and attracts the attention of Cadmus and even the Light though, new Heroes must step up to the call, and continue the legacy of their parents/mentors....even it means dealing with enemies of the past, and new.... Quotev Link  NOTE: WAS WRITTEN BEFORE S3 AND THEREFORE, ANYTHING S3 IS NOT IN IT. 

*Nightingale/Phoebe Grayson- child of Nightwing and Zatanna.  *Aura/Justin Grayson- eldest child of Nightwing and Zatanna.  *Fate/George Grayson- child of Nightwing and Zatanna.  *Kid Flash III/Hope West- twin child of Wally and Artemis. *Impulse II/Faith West- twin child of Wally and Artemis.  *Kid Martian/Brandon Kent- eldest child of Miss Martian and Superboy.  *Supergirl/Eleanor Kent- middle child of Miss Martian and Superboy.  *Speedy II/Arya Harper- middle child of Will and Jade Harper.  *Aqualad/Horatio- adopted child of Kaldur’ahm.  *Aquagirl/Phillida- child of Kaldur’ahm.  *Hornet/Anthony Duncan- eldest child of Mal and Bumblebee.  *Yellow Wasp II/Carlos Duncan- child of Mal and Bumblebee.  *Kid Lantern/Ryleigh Croft- Green Lantern in training. 

*Red Hood/Lian Harper- eldest child of Will and Jade- take on canon character. *Orange Lantern/Dominic Croft- Orange Lantern currently.  *Edward Grayson- adopted child of Nightwing and Zatanna.  *Serenity Kent- youngest child of Miss Martian and Superboy. *Sawyer Harper- youngest child of Will and Jade. *Cooper West- child of Wally and Artemis.  *Luna West- youngest child of Wally and Artemis. *Harrison Duncan- child of Mal and Bumblebee.  *Genesis Duncan- youngest child of Mal and Bumblebee. 

The New Adventures of Batman Beyond: Summary: TBA.

Name: Robin AKA Anissa Holmes.  Side: Good.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Dark DC Universe:

Justice League: Twisted Morals:  Summary of Book: TBA. 

Name: Phantom Spectre/Enola Rhodes.  Summary: TBA.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Peacebringer/Ophelia.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Green Lantern/Rowan Astor.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Super X/Caleb. Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Wavepool/Kadrex.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Blur/Lincoln Lauder.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Unnamed Universe Currently:

The Kids Aren’t Alright: Summary of Series: TBA.

Name: Robin I/Pandora Dallas.  Summary: TBA.  Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Name: Robin II/Ruth Rowley.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Red Robin: Summary: TBA.

Name: Red Wing/Bianca Mitchell.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Red Hood: Summary: TBA.

Name: Hit Girl/Natalia Trevino.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

Teen Titans: Next Generation: Summary: TBA.

Name: Nightstar/Mar’i Grayson. Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Nightingale/Venus Grasyon.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Jake Grayson. Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Shifter/Trevor Logan. Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Rose Logan. Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Crow/Michael Roth.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Azure/Christina Roth.  Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Dragonfly/Edwin Stone. Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA.

Name: Danny Stone. Summary: TBA. Voiceclaim: TBA. 

[marunalu]

Disney Movies List

Ok first of all I want to make clear that english is not my first language. I therefore apologize in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Please don't be too strict with me =D

I recently bought Disney+ and I plan now to watch and review every movie, Disney has ever produced or participated in it. And I tell you, this will be a hell of a trip, because my list now contains no fewer than 701 movies. That means if I watch at least one movie every day, it will take me about 2 years to see all of them. And since I will most likely not watch a movie every day, I will definitely need at least twice as long....

For the films on my list, which I marked with a cross at the end, it means that I have seen them already. However, since I last saw most of these movies in my childhood or teenage years (so at least 15 years ago), it will be interesting for me to rewatch them after such a long time. I have probably already forgotten most of the plots.

I also plan to watch them in chronological order and rank them. The movies that I don't find on Disney+ I will watch somewhere else.

Here is the list: (The films follow the chronological order in which they were published. However, it is quite possible that I accidentally swapped a few. But I think most of it is accurate).

1930:

Academy Award Review of Walt Disney Cartoons (X)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (X)

1940:

Pinocchio (X)

Fantasia (X)

The Reluctant Dragon ( )

Dumbo (X)

Bambi (X)

Saludos Amigos ( )

Victory Through Air Power ( )

The Three Caballores ( )

Make Mine Music ( )

Song of the South ( )

Fun and Fancy Free (X)

Melody Time ( )

Seal Island ( )

So Dear to my Heart ( )

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (X)

1950:

Cinderella (X)

Treasure Island ( )

In Beaver Valley ( )

Alice in Wonderland (X)

Nature's Half Acre ( )

The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men ( )

The Olympic Elk ( )

Water Birds ( )

Peter Pan (X)

The Sword and the Rose ( )

The Living Desert (X)

Bear Country ( )

The Alaskan Eskimo ( )

Prowlers of the Everglades ( )

Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue ( )

The Vanishing Prairie ( )

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ( )

Siam ( )

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier ( )

Lady and the Tramp (X)

The African Lion ( )

The Littlest Outlaw ( )

Men Against The Arctic ( )

The Great Locomotive Chase ( )

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates ( )

Secrets of Life ( )

Westward Ho the Wagons! ( )

Johnny Tremain ( )

Perri ( )

Old Yeller ( )

Navajo Adventure ( )

The Light in the Forest ( )

Tonka ( )

Grand Canyon ( )

Sleeping Beauty (X)

The Shaggy Dog ( )

Darby O'Gill and the Little People ( )

Zorro the Avenger ( )

Third Man on the Mountain ( )

Mysteries of the Deep ( )

1960:

Toby Tyler: Or, ten Weeks with a Circus ( )

Kidnapped ( )

Pollyanna ( )

The Sign of Zorro ( )

Jungle Cat ( )

Ten Who Dared ( )

Swiss Family Robinson ( )

Island of the Sea ( )

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (X)

The Absent-Minded Professsor ( )

Parent Trap ( )

Nikki, Wild Dog of the North ( )

Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog ( )

Babes in Toyland ( )

Wonders of the Water Worlds ( )

Moon Pilot ( )

Bon Voyage! ( )

Big Red ( )

Almost Angels ( )

The Legend of Lobo ( )

In Search of the Castaways ( )

The Prince and the Pauper ( )

Son of Flubber ( )

Miracle of the White Stallions ( )

Savage Sam ( )

Summer Magic ( )

The Incredible Journey ( )

The Sword in the Stone (X)

A Tiger Walks ( )

The Misadventures of Merlin Jones ( )

The Three Lives of Thomasina ( )

The Moon-Spinners ( )

Mary Poppins ( )

Emil and the Detectives ( )

Those Calloways ( )

The Monkey's Uncle ( )

That Darn Cat! ( )

The Ugly Dachshund ( )

Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. ( )

The Fighting Prince of Donegal ( )

Follow Me, Boys! ( )

Monkeys, Go Home! ( )

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin ( )

The Gnome-Mobile ( )

The Jungle Book (X)

Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar ( )

The Happiest Millionaire ( )

Blackbeard's Ghost ( )

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band ( )

Never a Dull Moment ( )

The Horse in the Grey Flannel Suit ( )

Guns in the Heather ( )

The Love Bug ( )

Smith! ( )

Rascal ( )

The Computer Whore Tennis Shoes ( )

My Dog, the Thief ( )

Ride a Northbound Horse ( )

1970:

King of the Grizzlies ( )

The Boatniks ( )

The Wild Country ( )

Smoke ( )

The Aristocats (X)

The Barefoot Executive ( )

Scandalous John ( )

The Million-Dollar-Duck ( )

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (X)

The Biscuit Eater ( )

Now You See Him, Now You Don't ( )

Napoleon and Samantha ( )

Run, Cougar, run ( )

Snowball Express ( )

Chandar, the Black Leopard of Ceylon ( )

The World's Greatest Athlete ( )

Charley and the Angel ( )

One Little Indian ( )

Robin Hood (X)

Mustang! ( )

Superdad ( )

Herbie Rides Again ( )

The Bears and I ( )

The Castaway Cowboy ( )

The Island at the Top of the World ( )

The Strongest Man in the World ( )

Escape to Witch Mountain ( )

The Apple Dumpling Gang ( )

One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing ( )

The Best of Walt Disney's True-Life Adventures ( )

Ride a Wild Pony ( )

The Boy Who Talked to Badgers ( )

No Deposit, No Return ( )

Treasure of Matecumbe ( )

Gus ( )

The Shaggy D.A. ( )

Freaky Friyday ( )

The Littlest Horse Thieves ( )

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (X)

A Tale of Two Critters ( )

The Rescuers (X)

Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo ( )

Pete's Dragon ( )

Candleshoe ( )

Return form Witch Mountain ( )

The Cat from Outer Space ( )

Hot Lead and Cold Feet ( )

Child of Glass ( )

The North Avenue Irregulars ( )

The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again ( )

Unidentified Flying Oddball ( )

The Black Hole ( )

The Muppet Movie ( )

The London Connection ( )

1980:

Midnight Madness ( )

The Watcher in the Woods ( )

Herbie Goes Bananas ( )

The Last Flight of Noah's Ark ( )

Popeye ( )

The Devil and Max Devlin ( )

Amy ( )

Dragonslayer ( )

The Fox and the Hound (X)

Condorman ( )

The Great Muppet Caper ( )

Night Crossing ( )

Tron ( )

Tex ( )

Trenchcoat ( )

Something Wicked This Way Comes ( )

Tiger Town ( )

Never Cry Wolf ( )

Love Leads the Way (X)

Where the Toys Come From ( )

Return to Oz ( )

The Black Cauldron (X)

The Journey of Natty Gann ( )

One Magic Christmas ( )

Teen Academy ( )

The Great Mouse Detective (X)

Flight of the Navigator ( )

Disneys Fluppy Dogs ( )

The Parent Trap ( )

The Christmas Star ( )

Benji the Hunted ( )

Return of the Shaggy Dog ( )

Mr. Boogedy ( )

Return to Snowy River ( )

Oliver & Company (X)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit ( )

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (X)

Cheetah ( )

The Little Mermaid (X)

Bride of Boogedy ( )

1990:

DuckTales: The Movie – Treasure of the Lost Lamp ( )

The Rescuers Down Under (X)

White Fang (X)

Shipwrecked ( )

Wild Hearts Can't be Broken ( )

The Rocketeer ( )

Beauty and the Beast (X)

Newsies ( )

Honey, I Blew Up the Kid ( )

The Mighty Ducks ( )

Aladdin (X)

The Muppet Christmas Carol ( )

Day-O ( )

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (X)

A Far Off Place ( )

The Adventures of Huck Finn ( )

Hocus Pocus ( )

Cool Runnings ( )

The Nightmare Before Christmas ( )

The Three Musketeers ( )

Iron Will ( )

Blank Check ( )

D2: The Mighty Ducks ( )

White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf ( )

The Lion King (X)

Angels in the Outfield ( )

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale ( )

The Santa Clause (X)

The Jungle Book (X)

The Return of Jafar (X)

Heavyweights ( )

Man of the House ( )

Tall Tale ( )

A Goofy Movie ( )

Pocahontas (X)

Operation Dumbo Drop ( )

A Kid in King Arthur's Court ( )

The Big Green ( )

Frank and Ollie ( )

Toy Story (X)

Tom and Huck ( )

Gargoyles – The Movie ( )

Muppet Treasure Island ( )

Homeward Bound: Lost in San Francisco (X)

James and the Giant Peach ( )

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (X)

First Kid ( )

D3 The Mighty Ducks ( )

101 Dalmatians (X)

Aladdin and the King of Thieves (X)

Wish Upon a Star ( )

Susie Q ( )

The Darn Cat ( )

Jungle 2 Jungle (X)

George of the Jungle (X)

Air Bud (X)

RocketMan ( )

Flubber (X)

Mr. Magoo ( )

Tower of Terror ( )

Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas ( )

Under Wraps ( )

Northern Lights ( )

Angels in the Endzone ( )

Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Faceoff ( )

Pooh's Great Adventure: The Search for Christoper Robin ( )

Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves ( )

The Love Bug ( )

Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella ( )

Oliver Twist ( )

Meet the Deedles ( )

Mulan (X)

The Parent Trap (X)

Air Bud: Golden Receiver ( )

I'll Be Home for Christmas ( )

A Bug's Life (X)

Mighty Joe Young ( )

You Lucky Dog ( )

Halloweentown ( )

Brink! ( )

Whoopi – A Knight in Camelot (X)

The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit ( )

Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World ( )

The Lion King 2: Simbas Pride (X)

Belle's Magical World ( )

Armageddon ( )

Don't Look Under the Bed (X)

Genius ( )

The Thirteenth Year ( )

Johnny Tsunami ( )

Can of Worms ( )

Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century ( )

Horse Sense ( )

Smart House ( )

My Favorite Martian ( )

Doug – The 1. Movie ( )

Endurance ( )

Tarzan (X)

Inspector Gadget ( )

The Straight Story ( )

Toy Story 2 (X)

H.E. – Double Hockey Sticks ( )

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas ( )

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving ( )    

Annie ( )

2000:

Fantasia 2000 ( )

The Ultimative Christmas Present ( )

Phantom of the Megaplex ( )

Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire ( )

The Other Me ( )

Quints ( )

Ready to Run ( )

Stepsister from Planet Weird ( )

Miracle in Lane 2 ( )

Rip Girls ( )

Alley Cats Strike ( )

The Color of Friendship ( )

Up, Up and Away ( )

Angels in the Infield ( )

Air Bud 3 ( )

Mail to the Chief ( )

Geppetto ( )

The Tigger Movie ( )

Dinosaur (X)

Disney's The Kid ( )

Remember the Titans ( )

102 Dalmatians (X)

The Emperor's New Groove (X)

An Extremly Goofy Movie ( )

Whispers: An Elephant Tale ( )

The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea (X)

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command ( )

Life-Size ( )

The Miracle Worker ( )

Bounce ( )

Jett Jackson: The Movie ( )

The Other Side of Heaven ( )

`Twas the Night ( )

Halloweentown 2: Kalabar's Revenge ( )

The Poof Point ( )

Jumping Ship ( )

Jennie ( )

Hounded ( )

Luck of the Irish ( )

Zenon: The Zequel ( )

Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse ( )

Motocrossed ( )

Recess: School's Out ( )

Lady and the Tramp 2 – Scamp's Adventure (X)

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (X)

The Princess Diaries ( )

Max Keebles Big Move ( )

Monsters, Inc (X)

Princess of Thieves ( )

Air Bud 4 ( )

The Scream Team ( )

A Ring of Endless Light ( )

Gotta Kick It Up! ( )

Get a Clue ( )

Tru>> confessions ( )

Cadet Kelly ( )

Double Teamed ( )

Snow Dogs (X)

Return to Neverland (X)

The Rookie ( )

Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True (X)

Lilo & Stitch (X)

The Country Bears ( )

Tuck Everlasting ( )

The Santa Clause 2 ( )

Treasure Planet (X)

Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year ( )

The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2 ( )

Tarzan & Jane ( )

Mickey's House of Villains ( )

Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time ( )

Air Bud 5 ( )

Full Court Miracle ( )

The Cheetah Girls ( )

Eddies Million Dollar Cook-Off ( )

The Even Stevens Movie ( )

Right on Track ( )

You Wish! ( )

101 Dalmatians 2: Patch's London Adventure ( )

The Jungle Book 2 (X)

Inspector Gadget 2 ( )

Piglet's Big Movie ( )

Ghosts of the Abyss ( )

Holes ( )

Atlantis: Milo's Return (X)

The Lizzie McGuire Movie ( )

Finding Nemo (X)

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (X)

Freaky Friday ( )

Brother Bear (X)

George of the Jungle 2 ( )

The Haunted Mansion (X)

The Young Black Stallion ( )

Stitch! The Movie ( )

Recess ( )

Recess: All Growed Down ( )

Going to the Mat ( )

Pixel Perfect ( )

Zenon Z3 ( )

Halloweentown High ( )

Tiger Cruise ( )

Stuck in the Suburbs ( )

Teacher's Pet ( )

Miracle ( )

March of the Penguins ( )

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen ( )

Ghost in the Shell 2 – Innocence ( )

Home on the Range (X)

Sacred Planet ( )

Springtime with Roo ( )

Around the World in 80 Days (X)

America's Heart and Soul ( )

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement ( )

Mulan 2 (X)

The Incredibles (X)

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (X)

The Lion King 1½ (X)

National Treasure ( )

Mickey, Donald and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (X)

Aliens of the Deep ( )

The Three Musketeers ( )

Kronk's New Groove ( )

Once Upon a Mattress ( )

Kim Possible Movie – So the Drama ( )

Go Figure ( )

Life is Ruff ( )

The Proud Family Movie ( )

Twitches ( )

Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (X)

Pooh's Heffalump Movie ( )

The Pacifier ( )

Ice Princess ( )

Herbie: Fully Loaded ( )

Sky High ( )

Valiant ( )

The Greatest Game Ever Played ( )

Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie ( )

Now You See It ( )

Buffalo Dreams ( )

Chicken Little ( )

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (X)

Tarzan 2 (X)

The Muppet's Wizard of Oz ( )

Air Buddies ( )

Read It and Weep ( )

Wendy Wu – Homecoming Warrior ( )

Cow Belles ( )

The Cheetah Girls 2 ( )

Return to Halloweentown ( )

High School Musical ( )

Brother Bear 2 ( )

Glory Road ( )

Roving Mars ( )

Bambi 2 (X)

Eight Below (X)

The Shaggy Dog ( )

The Wild ( )

Cars ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (X)

Leroy & Stitch ( )

Invincible ( )

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause ( )

Bridge to Terabithia ( )

Johnny Kapahala – Back on Board ( )

Jump In! ( )

Meet the Robinsons ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End ( )

Ratatouille ( )

Underdog ( )

The Pixar Story ( )

The Game Plan ( )

Le Premier Cri ( )

Enchanted ( )

The Fox and the Hound 2 (X)

The Secret of the Magic Gourd ( )

Pooh's Super Sleuth Christmas Movie ( )

Twitches Too ( )

High School Musical 2 ( )

Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time (X)

National Treasure: Book of Secrets ( )

Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert ( )

Snow Buddies ( )

The Cheetah Girls 3: One World ( )

The Little Mermaid – Ariel's Beginning (X)

Tinkerbell (X)

Camp Rock ( )

Minutemen ( )

College Road Trip ( )

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ( )

Dasavathaaram ( )

WALL-E ( )

Beverly Hills Chihuahu ( )

Morning Light ( )

High School Musical 3: Senior Year ( )

Bolt (X)

Bedtime Stories ( )

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience ( )

Iron Man ( )

Race to Witch Mountain ( )

Hannah Montana: The Movie ( )

Earth ( )

The Incredible Hulk ( )

Trail of the Panda ( )

Up ( )

Lilly the Witch: The Dragon and the Magic Book ( )

G-Force ( )

Walt & El Grupo ( )

The Book of Masters ( )

Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie ( )

Santa Buddies Here Comes Santa Paws ( )

Disney's A Christmas Carol ( )

Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure (X)

Old Dogs ( )

Princess Protection Program ( )

The Princess and the Frog ( )

Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too ( )

Hatching Pete ( )

Dadnapped ( )

Space Buddies ( )

2010:

Alice in Wonderland (X)

Waking Sleeping Beauty ( )

Oceans ( )

Santa Paws ( )

Avalon High ( )

Den Brother ( )

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam ( )

Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue (X)

StarStruck ( )

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time ( )

Toy Story 3 ( )

You Again ( )

The Sorcerer's Apprentice ( )

The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos ( )

Secretariat ( )

Do Dooni Chaar ( )

Tangled ( )

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story ( )

Tron: Legacy ( )

Iron Man 2 ( )

Geek Charming ( )

Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! ( )

Phineas & Ferb – The Movie ( )

Spooky Buddies ( )

Anaganaga O Dheerudu ( )

The Suite Life Movie ( )

Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure ( )

Lemonade Mouth ( )

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 ( )

Thor ( )

Lilly the Witch: The Journey to Mandolan ( )

Mars Needs Moms ( )

Zokkomon ( )

African Cats ( )

Prom ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ( )

Cars 2 ( )

Winnie the Pooh ( )

Pixie Hollow Games (X)

The Muppets ( )

Girl vs. Monster ( )

Santa Paws 2 ( )

Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess ( )

Radio Rebel ( )

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 ( )

Treasure Buddies ( )

FRenemies ( )

John Carter ( )

Chimpanzee ( )

Arjun: The Warrior Prince ( )

Brave ( )

The Odd Life of Timothy Green ( )

Frankenweenie ( )

Let It Shine ( )

Secret of the Wings (X)

The Advengers ( )

Wreck-It Ralph ( )

Teen Beach Movie ( )

Super Buddies

Oz the Great and Powerful ( )

Wings of Life ( )

Monsters University ( )

The Lone Ranger ( )

Planes ( )

Frozen ( )

Saving Mr. Banks ( )

Iron Man 3 ( )

Thor: The Dark World ( )

How to Build a Better Boy ( )

Zapped ( )

Cloud 9 ( )

The Pirate Fairy (X)

Muppets Most Wanted ( )

Bears ( )

Million Dollar Arm ( )

Maleficent ( )

Planes: Fire & Rescue ( )

Khoobsurat ( )

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ()

Captain America: The Winter Soldier ( )

Guardians of the Galaxy ( )

Big Hero 6 (X)

Into the Woods ( )

McFarland USA ( )

Cinderella ( )

Monkey Kingdom ( )

Tomorrowland ( )

Inside Out ( )

ABCD 2 ( )

Ant-Man ( )

The Good Dinosaur ( )

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (X)

Teen Beach 2 ( )

Tinkerbell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (X)

Bad Hair Day ( )

Descendants ( )

Avengers: Age of Ultron ( )

The Finest Hours ( )

Zootopia (X)

The Jungle Book ( )

Tini: The Movie ( )

Alice Through the Looking Glass ( )

Finding Dory ( )

BFG ( )

Pete's Dragon ( )

Queen of Katwe ( )

Moana (X)

Captain America: Civil War ( )

Doctor Strange ( )

Rogue One. A Star Wars Story (X)

Growing Up Wild ( )

Dangal ( )

 L'Empereur – March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step ( )

Beauty and the Beast ( )

Born in China ( )

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales ( )

Cars 3 ( )

Ghost of the Mountains ( )

Jagga Jasoos ( )

Coco ( )

Lillys Bewitched Christmas ( )

Descendants 2 ( )

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ( )

Spider Man: Homecoming ( )

Thor: Ragnarok ( )

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (X)

Expedition China ( )

A Wrinkle in Time ( )

The Incredibles 2 ( )

Christoper Robin ( )

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ( )

Ralph Breaks the Internet ( )

Mary Poppins Returns ( )

Zombies ( )

Black Panther ( )

Avengers: Infinity War ( )

Solo: A Star Wars Story ( )

Ant-Man and the Wasp ( )

Dumbo ( )

Penguins ( )

Aladdin ( )

Toy Stor 4 ( )

The Lion King ( )

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil ( )

Lady and the Tramp ( )

Noelle ( )

Frozen 2 ( )

Descendants 3 ( )

Captain Marvel ( )

Avengers: End Game ( )

Spider-Man: Far From Home ( )

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker ( )

One Day at Disney ( )

Togo ( )

2020:

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made ( )

Onward ( )

Stargirl ( )

Dolphin Reef ( )

Elephant ( )

Artemis Fowl ( )

Hamilton ( )

Mulan ( )

The One and Only Ivan ( )

The Beatles: Get Back ( )

Soul ( )

Secret Society of Second-Born Royals ( )

Magic Camp ( )

Howard ( )

Urgh! Wish me luck, that I survive this....

[trustthisdialect]

Current Favorite Ships Part 2

Ian and Mickey (Shameless)

Tulip and Jesse (Preacher)

Hayley and Elijah (The Originals)

Seth and Kate (From Dusk Till Dawn)

Sarah and Paul (Orphan Black)

Zero and Jude (Hit the Floor)

Josh and Aiden (The Originals)

Davina and Kol (The Originals)

Philip and Lukas (Eyewitness)

Kala and Wolfgang (Sense8)

Will and Riley (Sense8)

Lito and Hernando (Sense8)

Patrick and Kevin (Looking)

Amy and Jake (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)

Amy and Ty (Heartland)

Regina and Robin (Once Upon A Time)

Erin and Jay (Chicago PD)

Hannah and Adam (Girls)

Dan and Amy (Veep)

Maddie and Diggie (Liv & Maddie)

Tom and Liz (The Blacklist)

[fragilelcngs-blog]

INTRODUCING…. me.

hey, babes !! my name’s dee, and i’m very new around here. i’m twenty-three, live in the est, and use she/her pronouns. i’m a moody aquarius, chaotic neutral, and infp for those of you that are into literally anything that will tell you about your personality like me. i’m legit so painfully shy but i’m so down for plots, threads, and ships of all kinds so please bring me whatever your little hearts desire !!! i’m so stoked to be here and write with y’all it’s INSANE, and my ims are ALWAYS open for screaming about plotting, sharing headcanons, or making friends !! i only have two triggers that i feel should be mentioned and those are anything involving heavily graphic or explicit mentions of self-harm or pedophilia. otherwise, i’m good to go but please let me know if i miss something and don’t tag or give a content warning for any of your triggers !!!

INTRODUCING…. the muses.

HEATHER VINCENT, phoebe tonkin, ( 26 ) + screwtape by cane hill.

JANIE FOLEY, holland roden, ( 21 ) + disco tits by tove lo.

CARCOSA LUSK, lucy hale, ( 23 ) + ain’t no grave by johnny cash.

MICKEY ST. CLAIR, lynn gunn, ( 24 ) + soon be gone by boots.

VERONICA ST. CLAIR, carlson young, ( 21 ), + hotter than hell by dua lipa.

EVE RAYNER, holland roden, ( 27 ), + when the levee breaks by led zeppelin.

VALERIA PADILLA, eiza gonzalez, ( 27 ), + down by stone temple pilots.

MOLLY STARRETT, madelaine petsch, ( 22 ), + ultraviolence by lana del rey.

BRITNEY STARRETT, katherine mcnamara, ( 20 ), + come as you are by nirvana.

NIKKI FREY, maggie lindemann, ( 19 ), + baby i’m dead inside by kopps.

INTRODUCING…. wanted plots.

oh wOW alright so i’m gonna be basic for a second and tell y’all that i fucking love angst. i mean, fluff’s great and all, but my heart truly lies with the gritty, toxic, dysfunctional, and fucked up. i’m also a huge fan of anything having to do with crime so if you ever wanna do any crime plots come my way !!!  it’s also no secret that i’m a very big fan of age gaps ( obvs not with minors because GROSS ). but seriously, give me everything. friends or exes or enemies to lovers, two toxic people that know they should walk away from each other but can’t live without the other, criminals on the run, any kind of criminal or bad influence with pure characters that have hearts made of gold, characters that go through something horrible together and become each other’s lifeline because they’re the only ones that understand, secret and / or taboo relationships, slowburn and unrequited love, exes that reconnect under literally any kind of circumstances, etc. i’ll link some good examples of my favorite plots so you can get a feel for what i’m describing !!!

x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x are all some ( hopefully ) pretty good examples !!

i’m also always down for plots away from the romantic side of things. i LOVE giving my characters ride or dies, enemies, exes, family, or anything else you can think of. the more unique the connection the better !! legit one of the best relationships i ever played out in an rp was between carcosa and another girl. totally platonic, but it was such a rich and fucked up dynamic that was full of toxicity and power struggles and manipulation and backstabbing, but also drunken benders and risky adventures and late night confessions, and those were easily some of the funnest threads and plotting sessions i’ve ever had. so please, like i said, give me all of the connections.

INTRODUCING…. the favorites.

i’m totally gonna break this down into quick lil sections because i have a lot of favorite things lmao so here you go !!!

SHIPS

tbh i have so many favorite crackships so pls don’t even get me started on those ?? but i love both f/f and m/f ships and have absolutely zero preference when it comes to which one we do. i’m also a huge fan of poly ships and i’ll never say no to having multiple ships/plots/threads with the same person. i’m very much a multi-ship kinda gal so as long as it’s cool with my writing partner(s) i tend to assume each ship is in it’s own little verse unless otherwise discussed. though i’m totally down for and love ic drama so don’t be afraid to approach me about ships existing in the same timeline !! i’m a fan of everything from the sickly sweet and fluffy to the fucked up, toxic, and angsty so just give me all of the ships because tbh i’m a slut for ‘em.

FACES

alright so some of my favorite faces to play are holland roden, lucy hale, phoebe tonkin, eiza gonzalez, madelaine petsch, katherine mcnamara, dove cameron, halsey, emma greenwell, maggie lindemann, emmy rossum, madison davenport, lynn gunn, vanessa morgan, carlson young, deborah ann woll, and maggie siff. some of my favorite ladies to play against are zoey deutch, lindsey morgan, kat graham, vanessa morgan, dua lipa, eliza taylor, adelaide kane, candice patton, dove cameron, arden cho, chloe bennet, vanessa hudgens, danielle campbell, ashley benson, margot robbie, blake lively, ginny gardner, angelina jolie, emeraude toubia, meghan markle, and zoe kravitz. some of my favorite fellas to play against are charlie hunnam, jon bernthal, dj cotrona, charles melton, manny montana, oscar isaac, andy biersack, andrew lincoln, chris evans, bob morley, garrett hedlund, tom hardy, jason momoa, tyler posey, michael b. jordan, frank grillo, jeffrey dean morgan, dom sherwood, jensen ackles, skeet ulrich, and froy gutierrez.

EXTRAS

 just for fun, here’s a mismatched list of some of my favorite things across the board !! snakes, glitter, the colors purple, teal, and black, dogs, iced coffee, horror movies, outlaw bikers, drag queens, classic rock, vinyl records, bath and body works, geodes, mexican food, pulp fiction, the moon and stars, tattoos, neon lights, iasip, succulents and cacti, richard siken, candles, myths and folklore, metallic lipstick, sons of anarchy, and concerts.

INTRODUCING…. future plans.

tbh i hope to get a lot of things out of this group. i’m hoping to find a safe space to let my creativity run wild and a home for my muses where they can constantly grow and develop through interactions with other characters, in-depth plots, and my own exploration the more i write with them. i’m also hoping this will be a good opportunity to make friends, since i’m very much a loner and some of the best people i’ve met have been through the world of roleplaying. i definitely want to push my muses and challenge myself to be a better writer here, and i hope to help out those of you that are seeking the same things in your journey !! i’m already planning on adding some more muses in the very near future ( because i have ZERO impulse control ), and as far as future plans for plots go i want EVERYTHING. romantic, enemies, exes, familial, platonic, and literally anything in between. i would definitely love some slowburn ships where our characters don’t just fall in love overnight. i’d also be so down for exploring the dynamics of age gap relationships. not just the taboo aspect of them but like the differences in generations, the potential repercussions, the ups and downs and the times where they’re not sure if they can make it work.

INTRODUCING…. why i said fuck it.

i mean who hasn’t felt like saying fuck it to the rpc ??? i’ve been rping for several years, about six of those years have been on tumblr and as much love as i can have for this community at times, most days it’s just fucking exhausting. i feel like it’s mostly become a very toxic, judgmental, and honestly shallow place. i hate the expectation groups put on members these days with activity checks and whatnot because honestly who even has the time to write every single day ????? or y’know sometimes we just don’t feel like it ?????? i know for me personally between my mental health and irl responsibilities i just don’t have the time or energy to be on every two days. and plus a lot of them are cliquey af or die in a week or are riddled with petty drama so i tend to avoid them altogether. i joined the indie community in hopes of rping on my terms and while i def feel like that was a step in the right direction, it’s still a very exclusive community at times and i’ve had difficulty fitting in. there’s still a lot of ugliness towards female ocs or muns that exclusively play females and tbh i’m over it ??? i decided to give this group a try because i love the idea of the indie format but in a group, making it easier to plot with people and put yourself out there. tl;dr i decided to say fuck it because the community’s gone downhill and i needed a change.

[werewolfsmile]

With You - Ch 5

The English, Whipplocke (Eli x Cornelia)

Mature Rathing, graphic violence, period-typical racism, post-canon, canon divergent, found family, angst, references to rape

5,126 words

Read it on AO3

There was blood on White Moon's face. Difficult to see in the dim light from the campfire and long since dried but it was there nonetheless. Anger seethed inside of Cornelia and she stared at White Moon, hoping to convey some of her intent through that passionate gaze alone.

He stared back, recognition clear on his face accompanied by concern. Still pacing by the campfire, Mickey kicked a rock and White Moon flinched.

This simply would not do. Cornelia finally tore her gaze away from White Moon and set about examining every inch of the shabby campsite she could lay her eyes on. Staying here and waiting for those men to come back with her money and rape her was entirely out of the question. No, no, she would simply have to escape before then.

The ground was covered in hard rocks, many of them directly beneath her. Cornelia shifted, groping blindly with her hands that were tied behind her back, hoping for one that was sharp enough.

"Oi! What you doin', woman?" snapped Mickey in his voice that was far too youthful for a real outlaw. Just an overgrown child. What unfortunate set of circumstances had led him down this path of wickedness and cruelty?

Focusing back on the task at hand, Cornelia thought quickly.

"Dear Mother and Father," she began. Mickey's face scrunched in confusion. "I apologise for the delay in writing but things in the west have been a tad more complicated than I could foresee."

"Hey! There ain't no one else here! Jus' shut up, you hear?"

"Excuse me, young man, but your manners are simply deplorable," she shot back. Mickey's mouth dropped open. "Now, if you don't mind, I am long overdue in composing a letter to my parents and since I have nothing better to do with my time, I might as well focus on that! Barring any other untimely interruptions, of course."

She cast an imperious and haughty glare at him. Micky could only blink in return, clearly baffled as to what to make of her. Cornelia arched an eyebrow then nodded to herself. Behind her back, her hands kept searching until a sting of pain indicated possible victory.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. It seems that I have fallen in with a rather motley group of unemployed travellers. A desperate sort, they seek work wherever they can find it through whatever means at their disposal. Now, I know you must be thinking that they sound a rather dangerous lot. But let me reassure you, they have promised only to violate my person after they have looted all my money. A most generous offer, I am sure you would agree!"

"You are barkin' mad, woman! Now shut up! No one wants to hear you yammerin' on all the time."

"For heaven's sake, young man! Were you raised by dogs? No? If only! Surely even mongrels have better manners than you!"

Mickey stalked up to her, anger on his young face. Cornelia leant back as he approached and tried to ignore the anxious expression from White Moon. This close, she could see the acne that marked Mickey's skin and the softness of his face that had yet to harden into that of a man.

"I think you're forgettin' who's in charge around here, woman. It's me! And I don't wanna hear no more of your stuck up voice. So shut it! Or I'll shut it permanently!" He brandished the rifle, as though it could offer any real threat. Cornelia regarded him coolly, unaffected.

"Forgive my saying so but I was under the impression that the other angry man was in charge. You remember, middle aged, violent? He shot that man dead where he stood."

She gestured to the body lying not three metres from her feet. The body that Mickey had been studiously avoiding in all his manic pacing. Mickey swore now and paced again, but this time his eyes went to the body over and over again.

Cornelia redoubled her efforts. Rock clutched tightly in one hand, she sawed fiercely at the rope binding her wrists.

"Wasn't meant to be like this," Mickey muttered. One hand rose to his mouth and he chewed frenetically on a fingernail till he realised what he was doing and jerked it away. "Just a quick job, in and out. Weren't nobody meant to get hurt! Least of all Benny."

There was vulnerability in Mickey's voice when he spoke of his murdered comrade. Cornelia hesitated, glancing up to see the anguish visible on Mickey's face for barely a moment before it was gone.

"You know, in all the excitement, I never did get the name of the man that killed your friend. Not that I care to be introduced to someone so violent, but it seems right that when someone wishes you harm, you should at least know their name."

She kept sawing and Mickey kept pacing, the rifle lowered towards the ground now.

"Jensen, that's his name." Mickey swore and spat. "Been nothin' but trouble, ever since he took over the group."

"An outlaw gang, is that it?"

"Naw, not at first. We was just runnin' things off the track. Y'know, away from pryin' eyes. But then Jensen … It's been nothin' but killin' and thievin' since him. Not what I signed up for."

The ropes were weakening. Cornelia forced herself to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Rushing this and screwing it up was the last thing she wanted to do.

"I understand," she said and Mickey scoffed. "No, really, I do! I first came to America several months ago and, oh, I was terribly naive. Had no idea what I was getting myself into. Walked straight into a trap that was going to cost me my life with no visible way out. I thought, that's it! I'm done for! But you know what happened next?" Mickey stared at her and Cornelia smiled. "Magic."

The rope snapped. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she shook her wrists free.

"White Moon, now!"

Mickey's head swung towards White Moon, alarm on his face. White Moon let out a ululating battle cry and Cornelia surged to her feet. She lunged for the rifle, wrestling with Mickey as he cried out and tried to fend her off. They struggled against each other, each fighting for the upper hand until –

Bang! Mickey screamed and fell to the ground.

Cornelia stepped back, aiming the rifle at the young man as she panted in the wake of adrenaline. He writhed, blood staining his lower leg.

"You shot me, you bitch!"

"It is no less than you and the rest of your gang had planned for me," she retorted coldly. "Stop your fussing, it's not mortal. You'll live."

Bending down by Benny's dead corpse, Cornelia pulled his knife free from its sheath. Keeping a sharp eye on Mickey, she crossed the camp to White Moon and crouched behind him. It was a risk to take her eyes off Mickey but she did it all the same, quickly cutting through the bonds on White Moon's wrists. He sighed in relief and took the knife when she offered it.

"What're you gonna do to me?" Mickey asked, his voice trembling as the two of them returned to him. White Moon was a little slower and Cornelia cast her gaze over him again. No visible injuries, other than a swollen, bruised eye and blood on his face. He must be simply stiff from being trapped in that awful position.

"Keep you alive, for now. White Moon, bind his leg."

Cornelia gestured and White Moon nodded back. He had known barely any English when she first met him months ago, and she had no idea if that had changed since then. Still, he seemed to understand her well enough. He tore a strip of cloth from Benny's body and tied it tightly around Mickey's wounded leg.

Next, they tied Mickey to a stake in the ground. Cornelia ensured there were no weapons hidden on his person, nor sharp rocks around. Then she bound his ankles, for good measure. He moaned and whimpered, playing the pathetic victim until she could stand it no longer and gagged him.

Only then did she turn to White Moon, concern swarming through her.

"Oh, White Moon!" Cornelia ran gentle fingers over his bruised face but he smiled up at her.

"Is okay," he said in a halting, uncertain voice. Cornelia could not help it; she hugged him tightly and felt a surge of relief when he hugged her back.

"We need to be smart about this. It would be simple to cut our losses and run, but I don't fancy the idea of having these men at our back. Besides, I want my horse – and my money. So, it's decided then. We'll stay and ambush them in return."

White Moon stared at her blankly, clearly not comprehending her ramblings. Cornelia smiled and laid a gentle hand on his cheek before getting to work.

It did not take long to find all the weapons left in the camp. Less time again for White Moon to understand her intent and set to work. In a little over an hour, they had the entire campsite booby trapped. Mickey was still tightly trussed up and his wound had stopped bleeding. Satisfied, Cornelia settled on a ridge overlooking the campsite, while White Moon hid behind a cluster of rocks.

The nerves began to set in as they sat and waited. What if Jensen and his men suspected the trap? What if they took all night to return? What if Mickey died of the wound? Or even worse, what if White Moon got killed? He was just a boy, she should be protecting him from this violence, not directly involving him!

Can't let it infect. Up here neither.

Cornelia forced all those doubts from her mind. The memory of Eli's words fortified her and she clutched at the osprey skull in its pouch. He was right; thinking like that wouldn't change anything. She had to stay focused, keep her eyes on the task at hand. The magic had brought her this far. It would not abandon her now.

The hours dragged on. Cornelia watched the stars slowly turning overhead, her eyes drifting to the scorpion and the wolf. Soon, she promised herself. Soon she would lie beneath the sky with Eli and share stories of the stars.

Finally, she sensed a change in the landscape. A faint tremor through the ground – hoofbeats. She shifted position, glancing down to see White Moon looking up to her. They nodded to each other and readied themselves.

Jensen was the first to come into view, closely flanked by two others. Three more rode behind them, with the central man leading Cornelia's horse. Heart racing in her chest and palms sweating in her gloves, Cornelia gave the nod.

White Moon pulled the rip cord. A cacophony of gunshots rang out. Men shouted and screamed and fell, horses neighing in panic. Adrenaline spiked in Cornelia's veins. It had worked! She hadn't been sure, it had taken so much time to set up so many rifles. But this! This was glorious!

"Over there!" Jensen shouted as he picked himself off the ground and pointed towards White Moon's hiding place. Remembering herself, Cornelia whipped up her own rifle, sighted, and fired.

The bullet tore through Jensen's gut and he collapsed to his knees, clutching the wound desperately. White Moon seized the opportunity to run, tipping over a lantern as he went.

Flames whooshed towards the sky as they ignited the oil that had been carefully spilt upon the ground. The last men – only three of them now – shouted and pointed but could only fire blindly through the smoke. Cornelia took her time, remembering to breathe as she ratcheted another bullet and squeezed the trigger.

Another man fell. Only two left. The flames had reached behind the horses now, cutting off their escape. White Moon howled a battle cry and threw an axe. It sank deep into one man's throat and he clutched at it, hands tugging uselessly as he crumpled in the dust.

The last one was sharp. His eyes turned up towards Cornelia's high vantage point and he fired. She ducked, breathless as the bullet skimmed just over her head.

White Moon howled again. Cornelia's heart leapt to her throat. Heedless of her own safety, she surged back up to stare down at it all below. Her rifle aimed at the last man but she hesitated, mouth dry. White Moon had jumped the line of fire and he tackled the man, stabbing wildly with a dagger.

"No, no. Get out of there!" Cornelia gasped.

The man fought back. A harsh blow to the side of the head knocked White Moon to the ground, dazing him. The man kicked him then snatched the blade from his hands. He seized a fistful of White Moon's hair, dragging him up as he brandished the dagger.

Cornelia fired again. The man cried out and let go – winged. She swore and hurried to reload but White Moon was already moving. Tearing his dagger from the man's hands, White Moon lunged up. The blade sank deep and the man went slack, falling lifelessly to the ground.

Cornelia scrambled out of her hiding place. The descent was steep but she paid it little heed, half-running, half-skidding down the slope. The flames were already beginning to die down and White Moon stepped out from them, battered but alive.

Jensen groaned. Cornelia lifted her gun, all her rage and vengeance coming back to her in an instant. His hands were soaked in blood as he tried to hold himself together, a faint crimson tinge flecking his lips. She lowered her gun; it would be over soon.

"You … you bitch," Jensen wheezed, his lungs whistling.

"I told you. Should have simply held me at gun point." Cornelia tilted her head to the side. "I knew I would kill you from the moment you mocked me." ??

It was gruesome work, watching a man die. But Cornelia had endured far more gruesome things in her life. In comparison, this was vindication. When Jensen finally lay still on the blood-soaked ground and the light had gone out in his eyes, she let out a deep breath and turned away.

"Cornelia." She looked up to see White Moon standing over Mickey. "What do with him?"

Slinging the rifle onto her back, she strode over. Mickey stared up at them, eyes wide in terror. To leave him alive was a liability and possibly a slow death. Killing him here would be much cleaner. And yet …

Cornelia thought back to the Pawnee man that Eli had failed to shoot. What might have become of that man if Cornelia had not stepped into that space? If she never lifted the bow?

Perhaps Eli was right and that man had already been dead. But Mickey was young and Cornelia was tired of watching young men's stories get cut short.

"Leave him. Put a knife near him when we go. If he wants to live, he'll have to fight for it."

~*~

They moved on as soon as Eli was strong enough to stand. It wasn't safe to linger near so many bodies for the sake of wild animals alone, never mind the risk of other people coming upon them. So they scavenged everything of worth from the bodies, loaded up their horses, and left.

Red Feather had done an excellent job of tending to his wounds. The graze on his neck was deep and would certainly scar, but was already healing without the need of stitches. The bullet hole through his left shoulder was another matter entirely. Red Feather's poultices had thoroughly cleaned it but it needed stitches.

That first night after they moved camps, Eli helped talk Red Feather through crafting a needle out of bone. They had few options for thread but they had the horses. It was simple enough for Red Feather to cut some strands of tail hair and boil them before threading through the bone needle.

Eli gave no complaint as she stabbed deeper than she needed, or pulled a little too hard. She was just a child and she had never stitched a wound before. He suppressed all his reactions and spoke only encouragement.

They found shelter in a rocky grove off the beaten track. Water was scarce but there were thick, stubborn scrubby plants growing in the grove. They provided suitable shade, so Eli and Red Feather settled in for a few days. Eli needed time to recover before they pushed on harder. The risk of infection aside, he could barely lift his left arm. If they encountered anyone else wanting to kill them, Eli would hardly be able to fight.

Red Feather flicked twigs at the campfire that evening, her eyes lost deep in thought. Eli tried not to think about how far they still had to travel. Would Cornelia even be there by the time they reached Nebraska? What if she had gone somewhere else in search of him?

"Tell me about Cornelia."

Eli's head jerked up. Red Feather's serious gaze met his across the campfire, unwavering in her intensity.

"Why?" he asked and Red Feather rolled her eyes.

"I know you're thinkin' about her. And there's nothin' else to do here."

Fair enough. Eli let his eyes drift to the flames as he marshalled his thoughts. How could he sum up the magic and power of that woman in a way Red Feather would understand?

"Cornelia's unlike any person you ever met. She got no clue how the west works and almost got herself killed more times than you would believe. But she never let that stop her. She just keeps goin'. Somehow it works. She believes in magic. Was convinced that we were meant to meet, that all these dark things in our lives had a purpose. I didn't agree with that."

He wanted to, despite the stubborn, pragmatic part of him that had seen so much death and horror and destruction. Eli wanted to throw his sensibilities into the wind and race on magic, just like Cornelia had done.

She had to be right. How could it be anything but magic? After all she had survived and the distances she had travelled, how could Eli ever doubt her magic?

"How did you meet?" Red Feather shifted to lie on her belly, chin propped on her hands and feet kicked up behind her. Such an innocent, carefree position. Eli's heart warmed to see her so relaxed.

"Tried to save my life. Almost lost her own in the process but … Somehow we survived. From there, well." He shrugged. "Ain't no real reason for why I said yes. Maybe it was magic. Either way, I agreed to take her north. So we went."

"Eli, you tell the worst stories," Red Feather declared dramatically and flopped her head into the dirt. He stared at her, taken aback.

"What else do you want from me?" he asked and she groaned.

"You told me what happens without proper tellin' anything! Try again!"

He could not help the smile that curved one corner of his mouth. Cornelia had been similar, coaxing the finer details out of him in that endlessly curious way of hers. Red Feather was far more direct but it was enough for his heart to pang in longing.

So Eli spoke again. He filled in the details, even though it felt strange to reveal so much of himself after so many years guarding everything. And Red Feather listened, entranced by the stories of the white woman who had travelled without fear to avenge her son.

Sleep came easier to Eli that night. To speak of Cornelia in such a way left him feeling lighter than he had expected. He had not realised just how badly he had needed to speak of her, to share that part of himself with someone.

He drifted off under the light of the stars, chest full of a comfortable hope that he had not felt in a long time. He dreamt of Cornelia – dreamt of seeing her in the village of his birth, surrounded by family members that had long since walked the Path of the Dead. She smiled at him and held out her hand – but he could not see it clearly. The image was blurred and when he tried to focus, it slipped away into a kaleidoscope of grassy plains, bloodied bodies and howling wolves.

Eli woke abruptly with sweat on his brow. His gut twisted and all sense of easy hope was gone. What did such dreams mean? If only he could go to a kúrahus! He dragged a hand across his face – then realised it was not his dreams that had woken him.

Red Feather whimpered on the other side of the smouldering campfire. She twitched and thrashed, limbs flailing drunkenly. Eli propped himself up a little, wondering if it was wise to wake her. But then she screamed. Her spine arched and her cries wailed loudly, so pitiful and heartbroken that he could not have stopped himself if he tried.

Throwing back his blanket, Eli hurried to her. He caught her flailing arms with his hands, hushing her quietly.

"It's alright, Red Feather. It's alright. Wake up."

She struggled harder, brow pinching tightly against her nightmares. Eli stroked her hair back from her face, not even noticing when he slipped into his native language.

"Awi'uusik, čuú'at. Awi'uusik."

Red Feather jolted awake suddenly. Eyes wide and breaths heaving her chest, she screamed and yanked away from him, kicking madly.

"Red Feather!" Eli said loudly and her eyes snapped to him. He watched cognizance filter back in before she sagged, shaking from the terror of it all. Eli reached out, hands hovering over her in a gentle request as he spoke. "You're safe. Just a nightmare. It's over."

Her face crumpled as emotions took over. A wail escaped her, following by a shuddering sob. Eli opened his mouth to speak again – but she moved too fast. Red Feather threw herself into his arms, howling between her wrenching sobs. Small fists dug into his back and pulled at his clothes. Her head bumped his as she cried, voice so loud his ears rang.

He did not care. She was all that mattered. Eli curled his arms around her, whispering softly in Pawnee. He rocked her and soothed her, trailing fingers through her tangled hair. His neck ached and his shoulder throbbed in agony but it barely registered.

Red Feather was so strong and independent, it was easy to forget just how young and fragile she was. Eli was reminded now, as she curled into an anguished ball in his lap. So small and so light. Her scent still carrying that edge of childhood. Grief filled him and he held her tighter.

No child should have to suffer like this.

"I-I saw him. I saw him!" she wailed in between sobs and hiccups. She shook so viscerally that Eli felt it in his bones. "I saw the, the blood, the …"

Eli hushed her as words failed her. Red Feather screamed and cried, inconsolable for what felt like hours. He held her through it all, letting her small body purge the emotions that had been building like a storm for weeks. He rocked her, whispering Pawnee lullabies in her ears.

Red Feather cried herself out at length. Her sounds of anguish dwindled, her grip loosening until she was slack and limp, an exhausted bundle in his lap. Eli carried her back to his bedroll and lay down with her head on his chest.

He used to do this with his own children when they could not sleep. Lying by the fire with an ear pressed over his heart, the sound of his heartbeat and breathing would eventually lull them back to sleep. It worked the same way now – Red Feather's breathing evened out and her body finally calmed that little bit further. Eli kept stroking her hair, humming under his breath as he stared into the embers of the fire.

There was no point in trying to go back to sleep himself. He was too unsettled, mind still troubled from his own dreams and body wide awake. So he carefully tossed another branch on the fire and watched the stars slowly turning above him.

If wishes were where we would be, then we would be where we are not.

The cold months would be upon them soon. Eli could see it in the tilt of the sky and smell it on the air. His thoughts drifted back to Cornelia – as they always did – and worry gnawed at his gut.

She had not experienced winter on the plains. She would have no idea of the danger, the multitude of risks. If Eli could not find her before the first snowfall, what hope would she have? The thought of her lost in a blizzard, calling for him and slowly freezing to death, lodged in his mind and chilled his heart.

No. He could not think like that! Cornelia was smart, for all her recklessness. She would understand the dangers, surely. She would take up residence in some town for the winter. Yes, surely that was it. He need not worry, Cornelia had survived too much to foolishly throw what was left of her life away.

Thoughts of the posters she had commissioned flashed through his mind but he pushed them aside. No point in thinking about something that would only make him angry. There would be time enough for that later.

Eli glanced down at Red Feather. He had endured many cold winters as a soldier. He knew how to survive under the harsh elements. But with a young daughter in tow?

Perhaps it would be wise for them to find somewhere to stay for the winter, as well. Travel would only get harder when the snow came, not to mention the risk of sickness.

Eli jerked his head away; no, he couldn't bear to think of it! After losing so many children to fevers, the thought of Red Feather suffering the same terrified him.

He never should have taken her with him, he should have found somewhere else for her to go! Bearing the responsibility of her life in his hands was a fool's game. Her blood would taint him sooner or later, he knew that. He never should have claimed her as his daughter.

Ah, but such thoughts only sought to protect himself, did they not? Eli let out a heavy breath and glanced down at Red Feather. No. He did not regret claiming her, no matter what his doubts and fears said. He cared for her, and would carry her in his heart from now till the beyond.

No matter what became of her.

The sun rose slowly that morning. Eli watched its light creep across the land, until it bathed him and Red Feather. She stirred soon after, movements sluggish and eyes still puffy from the night before. Eli said nothing as she pulled away from him and wandered to the edge of the camp.

She went to the horses. They nosed at her hands and she stroked their muzzles then pulled out the grooming brush. She tended to her own horse, a dark bay gelding with a crooked stripe down his face.

Letting her have her space, Eli turned to his own morning rituals. He cleaned himself up as best he could without wasting too much water, then changed his clothes. The ones Red Feather had cried on would need to be washed. Best that they aim to find a creek or a spring today.

Red Feather came back as Eli pulled out some dried meat for a light breakfast. She sat on the edge of his bedroll – close, but not touching – and accepted when he offered her some food. They ate in silence and Eli let the silence stretch, knowing she would speak when she was ready.

"I dreamt about that man," Red Feather finally said, her voice scratchy. Eli took a moment to swallow his mouthful and studied her face.

"The one you killed."

She flinched but nodded. Eli hummed and chewed on another strip.

"I keep … seein' him. Over and over. No face, just … blood and bone." She shuddered, the dried meat in her hand forgotten. Eli turned a little and waited until Red Feather met his gaze.

"You did what you had to do," he said, voice heavy with the weight of how serious he was. She sniffed, lower lip wobbling.

"But it's like you said. I almost killed you. Didn't wanna do that. Didn't wanna kill him, either, but he was there and I was so scared …" She broke off, eyes turning out to the horizon as she fought against tears.

Eli dared to reach out a hand in offering. A beat passed between them, then Red Feather clutched his hand, her small fingers curling tightly around his palm.

"I don't blame you for that. Can't change it, it's done. And when I said those things …" He sighed. "Maybe I was too hard on you. Ain't no time but a moment to make those choices. You killed him. We both lived – thanks to you."

"But now he's hauntin' me. I can't sleep without seein' him." Her hand trembled in his grasp.

"You will. One day. Till then, just remember. You did what you had to do. Ain't no way of changin' the past. Gotta find a way to move forward."

"How?"

"Keep livin'. Dunno. Some days I'm still tryin' to do the same, myself."

Red Feather shuffled closer to him until she was pressed against his side. She kept his hand held tightly in her own, tracing over the callouses on his skin.

"D'you think Cornelia will want me?" Her voice was so soft and fragile, tentative. Yet the words resonated loud within him and Eli felt himself reeling at the unexpected mention of her.

"Cornelia's a woman with a lot of love to give. I never saw a limit to it. Almost cost her life, time and again. So I say yes, she'll want you. And if she doesn't? She'll learn to. You belong with me, čuú'at. Not even Cornelia gonna change that."

Red Feather sniffled and turned to bury her face in his chest. Eli wrapped an arm around her, and almost missed the muffled words she spoke into his jacket.

"Biixoo3é3en, neisonoo."

Eli did not need to understand the words; he felt their meaning in his soul. He held her tighter.

"Tâtačiksta, čuú'at."

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

Rule Breakers

Request: Could you do a Western Dean x Reader where Dean is an outlaw. He recently robbed a bank and hides in the Reader's barn. The Reader finds him and runs to get help but Dean catches her and takes her hostage?

Pairing: Outlaw!Dean x reader

Word Count: 1,100ish

Warnings: mild language

“Good girl,” you said, feeding your horse a little bit of sugar you’d saved from dinner for her. She neighed and snorted into your palm, licking it clean as you looked around for her blanket. “What’d you do with your wool Sally? You know you like to sleep with it.”

The horse neighed again and you rolled your eyes, glad no one was around to see it. You weren’t exactly what you’d call a well mannered lady. At least that’s why your dad said you were single and would be that way forever. Well that might have been true but you could tuck your hair up under a cap and wear a loose fitting shirt after wrapping everything up and bam, suddenly you were your own husband. At least you could take care of yourself unlike some of the ditzes you knew.

“Where did I put that thing...” you said, wandering around the stalls, not spotting the blanket anywhere, wondering if the wind caught it and flung it up in the loft. You sighed and climbed the ladder, finding it as expected over what looked like a bundle of hay that broke open. You crawled over and ripped at it, finding it stuck. You tugged a few more times before you saw the hay move and a man pop up with the blanket over him. “Uh...”

You quickly got back down the ladder, remembering that face from one of the wanted posters around town. But this guy was faster and was on top of you like that, pinning you down with his bigger frame and tying you against one of the horse stalls.

“Listen...” you said, dropping your voice, so used to it that it’d become second nature at the sight of another person. The guy only squinted and grabbed your lantern, bringing it closer as he stared, wiping his sleeve over the dirt you constantly kept on your face to hide the truth. He scrunched up his face even further and pulled off your hat, your hair falling down in waves. 

“Little lady, what are you doing playing dress up?” he asked, earning a kick to the nuts from you. “Okay, that was condescending. My mistake.”

“You’re the robber,” you said, the man getting up to a kneeling position now as you hoped he would turn around so you could try to work the ropes loose.

“I’m Dean. You are?” he asked.

“George,” you said, cocking your head. “Let me go.”

“Funny, you don’t look like a George,” said Dean, wearing a big smile. “I’m in a slight predicament and need to lay low for the night. You’ll understand why I can’t let you go running off to alert the authorities.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have stolen-”

“You’re mouthy for a lady. I like you. None of that yes sir horse shit. Independent. I like it,” he said. “One night in your barn and I take that fine horse in the morning and you’ll never see me again.”

“Sally’ll stomp you into the ground if you go near her,” you said, Dean giving the horse a glance as it snorted at him.

“I know how to tame a horse, even an uncooperative one,” he said, looking at you.

“Are you threatening me?” you asked, Dean shaking his head as he grabbed a stool and took a seat.

“I told you little lady, I only need to lay low for the night. A threat would be saying I’m going to reveal your secret but that’s not very gentleman like. I said it before, I like you. One night and we can go our seperate ways,” he said.

“You’re not taking my horse,” you said, Dean rolling his eyes. “You’re just not.”

“I will ensure she is returned to you in a timely manner,” said Dean, waving his hands. “Cross my heart.”

“At least give Sally her blanket, she gets cold at night,” you said, Dean surprising you by retrieving it and tossing it over the animal. “Thank you.”

“Do you live alone?” he asked, the answer already obvious. “It’d be warmer in your house, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess,” you said, Dean nodding as he undid your ropes and pulled you to your feet, walking you quietly by the arm through the yard and to the house. 

“Is that pie I-”

“Touch it and I will stab you,” you said. “You know how hard it is to find fresh blueberries out in these parts?”

“Yes mam’,” he said, releasing you inside, eyes wandering over to a shotgun by the door but not saying anything. You sat on your bed, Dean pulling up a chair by your fire and kicking his feet up on another one. 

“Why’d you steal that money?” you asked.

“Why do you pretend to be a man? Sometimes you do things because you have to sweetheart,” said Dean. “Get some shut eye and I’ll be gone before you even wake up.”

“You ain’t takin’ my horse,” you said, Dean sitting up in his chair.

“Sorry sweetheart but one of us is in charge right now and it is not...” he trailed off when you sat up in bed, holding a colt. 

“Who’s not in charge?” you asked. “You really think I only own the one gun?”

He stood up and sighed, you on his tail to push him outside. You were trying to figure out what to do when he looked back over his shoulder.

“I won’t tell you know. If you turn me in. Although we should probably get your hat if we’re going back to town,” he said.

“Why wouldn’t you tell?” you asked, Dean turning to face you, offering a small shrug.

“I like rule breakers. I like you. Twenty sheriffs couldn’t catch me but some little lady half my size did it without breaking a sweat,” he said.

“Where you going?” you asked, his brow furrowing. “West?”

“In that general vicinity, yes,” said Dean as you lowered the gun. “What are you doing?”

“Take me with you,” you said, expecting a laugh but getting a smile instead. “You want my horse, I’m coming with her.”

“I am an outlaw sweetheart. Does that seem like a good idea?” he asked.

“I’m technically an outlaw but no one seems to know that. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two,” you said, Dean chuckling to himself.

“Throw in a slice of that pie and you’re on.”

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