Quastari - ☆

     a smirk pulls on joel's lips at her response - of course, he didn't believe a word of what she said. hope asking for sugar was like joel asking to borrow a tool. such a clear & BLATANT excuse that's so easily debunked but warms joel's face all the same.

                ❝ well, i reckon we can SCROUNGE somethin' together for ya. ❞

     subconsciously, joel leans his hand against the doorframe while the other comes to rest on his hip. while hope's unexpected arrival was definitely welcome ( he's so glad sarah's at school ), it means he didn't have much of a chance to pick up the house a bit. there's too much evidence laying around the house of joel's ARDUOUS work hours & sarah's soccer team hanging out after practice.

     he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. ❝ you, uh - ya need it right now ? ❞

𝒃𝒈𝟑 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒔 ( accepting ! )

@quastari said : ❝ let me guess - you need something . ❞ from pre outbreak joel

❝  𝒖𝒉  .  .  .  ❞

even  from  where  she  hovers  behind  his  screen  door  ,  her  caught-red-handed  sheepish  smile  can  be  easily  detected  .  mischief  𝑺𝑷𝑨𝑹𝑲𝑳𝑬𝑺  within  her  blue  sky  gaze  ,  hinting  at  an  ulterior  motive  joel  has  already  astutely  picked  up  on  . 

❝  would  you  believe  me  if  i  said  i  came  over  to  borrow  a  cup  of  sugar  ?  ❞  is  her  deceptively  innocent  reply  .

of  course  ,  we  all  know  that baker  extraordinaire  hope  baxter  would  never  be  caught  with  any  less  than  3  full  bags  of  sugar  stored  within  her  perpetually  well  stocked  pantry  .  it  seems  she's  come  to  visit  his  residence  seeking  another  kind  of  𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔  -  should  he  be  receptive  .  they  haven't  exactly  labeled  whatever  they  are  to  each  other  just yet  ,  it's  all  still  so  new  &  delicate  .

❝  just  lookin'  for  a  little  𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑵  𝑯𝑶𝑺𝑷𝑰𝑻𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑻𝒀  ,  that's  all  .  ❞

♡ for a starter / memes from arthur morgan

it was never common practice to ask for details when arthur was getting paid for a job. in his experience, FEWER details made the job easier. & frankly, he did not care to know the circumstances - only how much it paid.

escorting a bride-to-be across statelines was among his more duller jobs to date. the details were not something he spent much time thinking on.

the door is kicked shut with enough force to wobble on its rusting hinges, & arthur's long sigh follows like a low rumble of thunder. the pay of bringing her to her wedding was HANDSOME enough - this ain't too far from bounty-hunting, come to think of it.

❝ perhaps you would prefer sleeping outside in the dirt, princess, ❞ arthur mutters out, giving a shake of his head. ❝ nah, trust me - the first place them bounty hunters will check is the fancy hotel. we're better off here. ❞

he falls into a wooden chair in the corner of the room, offering hope baxter as much space as the room would allow. if arthur wasn't so wound up, perhaps the reality of being ALONE in a hotel room with a women would be more apparent.

a small, admittedly quite mortified, ❝ 𝒐𝒉 . ❞ is all she manages for a bit as the realization of what he is saying settles in her mind . in all of her sheltered naiveté of course she hadn't considered that , yet another reminder that there is terrifyingly 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 she knows about the world beyond her daddy's church doors.

embarrassment rises hot into her cheeks. it was bad enough to feel ignorant, oblivious to the uncensored reality arthur has been steeped in all of his life - but the cacophony of debauchery seeping through the thin walls merely serves to rub salt into the wound. He was 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, & she was becoming increasingly certain this world would eat her up alive if it weren't for him.

hope follows closer behind, trying her best to ignore how her mind 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 dangerously - the sounds don't help, neither does the thought of what these rooms were typically for . Especially unhelpful is the way his frame dwarfs her own , taking up so much of the little space available to them in this narrow hallway . . .

it's also not lost on her that if she hadn't gotten cold feet, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 would have been her wedding night.

❝ alright, alright - i catch your drift, cowboy,❞ she concedes, hoping that will get him off her back for a moment at least.

entering the room they had been given for the night, there is no hiding the crinkle of her freckled nose at the state of it. of course, being thoroughly humbled by their exchange in the hall - among many other times since he had ridden into her life - she keeps her mouth shut.

hope hovers for a moment, frozen - unsure how to relax in such . . . 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄 accommodations. she doesn't hesitate long, opting to teeter on the edge of a portion of the mattress free of any questionable stains.

❝ not sure how comfortable i can get . . . considerin' the circumstances,❞ she huffs, an attempt at a joke to ease the growing tension as it suddenly dawns on her that the room is woefully sparse - only one bed for the two of them.

she swallows, 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃. it's going to be a very long night.

♡ for some memes or perhaps a starter

open to mutuals !

                ❝ i heard a shot. you okay ? ❞

          joel has his revolver at the ready. eyes scanning about - he hears nothing now, but he's been jumped one too many times to grow COMPLACANT at the absence of noise.

          & sure, his tone is clipped & stern. it's a hot summer day & they should've been back in jackson two hours ago. but he stills takes a moment to make sure he isn't returning ALONE.

archer & the nx01

     ❝ pleasure, ❞ thomas replies easily. the initial SHOCK of seeing hope had begun to wane, so it was a little easier to relax & loosen up & remember his cover. there was still a worm of worry in the back of his mind - encountering someone who knew the real will riker so well & may very well see through his facade. ❝ stopping by for a visit while awaiting transport to risa. ❞

     the explanation tumbled out in an easy, practiced way. thomas brings his drink up to take a sip. lets his gaze sweep the patrons. repositions his feet as he leans against the bar. ANYTHING to distract himself from truly meeting hope's eyes.

          maybe then she won't be able to read him. maybe then he can make himself FORGET how she used to look at the real will riker.

     ❝ you know doctor crusher - show the slightest signs of stress & she drags you on the transporter pad herself for leave. ❞

hope almost turns on her heel to high-tailed it back out of quark's the moment she catches sight of those 𝑭𝑹𝑼𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑳𝒀 recognizable broad shoulders . lulled into the security of her predictable routine here on the station - as predictable as it gets on deep space nine , anyway . . . will's presence is enough to jolt her right out of auto-pilot .

surely he would have had the forethought to let her know he was visiting . . . or wouldn't he ? it's not like she lays any more claim to the place than anyone else , but it is 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 now , & he knows that . as they say , curiosity kills the cat .

so , she finds herself floating over to get the 𝑨𝑾𝑲𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑫 part over with - & perhaps to stick her freckled nose into why he would be here SO suddenly , with no warning .  ( not that he owes her a warning or anything , but admittedly it would have been nice . ) she doesn't miss the way his brows furrow slightly . . . surely , he should have expected this encounter - right ?

𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 , her racing thoughts all melt away when he smiles , & it's like meeting him on the enterprise for the first time all over again .

❝ well enough i suppose , ❞ the corners of her lips lift naturally , her voice carrying the 𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑴𝑻𝑯 of familiarity . she continues with a light chuckle , ❝ & as you've read , very busy . . . speaking of - what brings you all the way out here , stranger ? ❞

Kaidan I Citadel DLC

     the glow of his cigarette is the only real way to tell that arthur morgan was there at all. he leans against the thick trunk of an oak tree, which shields him from the moonlight that's bathed miss baxter during her goodbye. it makes her dress nearly as PALE as her skin - almost white, in fact. as if she were already in her fancy wedding gown. the careful steps to meet him like the walk down the aisle.

     he forces that thought from his mind as she approaches him. pulls on his cigarette again, making the end glow like a tiny wildfire. ❝ alright, then, ❞ arthur says, pushing off the tree with a sigh.

               but he doesn't approach the horses. not yet.

     with a thumb hanging from his gun belt, arthur instead steps closer to hope baxter. eyes utterly UNSEEN under the darkness of his hat. nothing but a dark silhouette as he takes a moment to properly size her up. arthur's met her kind before - polite & put together on the surface. maybe even kind. but utterly innocent & ignorant.

     ❝ i dunno what your daddy told you 'bout me, but lets get a few things straight - you do everything i tell you. no questions. no backchat. i ain't a couch driver, ma'am ... i KILL people. an' your daddy hired me to kill anyone who might wanna take you. so please, do bear that in mind whenever you wanna go frolicking or whatever it is you like to do. ❞

𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 @quastari !

it  was  decided  they  should  head  out  before  the  crack  of  dawn  ,  utilizing  the  cover  of  𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔  to  slip  out  of  town  unnoticed  .  there  had  been  a  brief  introduction  to  her  hired  guide  ,  arthur  morgan  ,  but  her  father  had  done  most  of  the  talking  then  .  she'd  offered  a  polite  smile  &  nod  ,  but  not  much  else  ,  unsure  what  the  social  norms  in  this  situation  are  -  if  anything  about  this  could  be  considered  'normal'  .

❝  please  be  careful  ,  ❞  is  the  last  request  damien  baxter  makes  of  his  beloved  daughter  before  she  departs  ,  his  hands  squeezing  both  of  hers  tightly  -  𝑹𝑬𝑳𝑼𝑪𝑻𝑨𝑵𝑻  to  let  her  go  .  they  had  scarcely  been  apart  since  her  mother's  death  ,  &  even  less  so  since  her  sister  had  run  off  -  all  they  have  left  is  each  other  .  it  shows  in  the  way  they  embrace  ,  holding  tight  for  a  good  long  moment  .  he  presses  a  kiss  to  the  crown  of  her  head  before  sending  her  off  .

 ❝  i'll  be  okay  ,  promise  ,  ❞  her  smile  is  𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆  ,  but  her  eyes  are  sad  .

with  goodbyes  concluded  ,  there  is  nothing  left  to  do  but  mount  her  horse  -  whom  she's  staunchly  refused  to  part  with  for  even  these  few  short  weeks  .  she's  only  packed  the  bare  minimum  for  the  journey  ,  or  as  close  as  she  is  able  to  get  .  had  hope  been  another  woman  of  her  stature  she  might  have  dreaded  ,  even  𝑳𝑶𝑨𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑫  the  prospect  of  roughing  it  like  this  -  but  she  finds  herself  actually  looking  forward  to  the  simplicity  of  it  all  .  despite  going  to  these  great  lengths  in  the  interest  of  her  safety  ,  she  is  actually  quite  happy  to  have  some  time  away  from  the  pressures  &  constraints  of  her  typical  life  .  the  whole  affair  feels  like  a  breath  of  fresh  air  ,  the  last  one  it  seems  she'll  ever  breathe  .  hope  intends  to  savor  it  .

after  a  final  wave  &  one  last  look  toward  𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆  ,  she  turns  toward  arthur  .  ❝  i'm  ready  .  ❞