Charlotte Finley

Howdy. This is an ask blog for my OC; Charlotte Finley. Feel free to ask her questions and/or roleplay. This blog is 18+ (Main account: @justanotheryeehaw)

[justanotheryeehaw]

I kinda miss doing rdr2 rps with people :/

[au-everett]

It had been a little over two months since Charlotte last saw Everett. She didn't mean to go so long without seeing him, but she had some business back in her home town that she had to take care of. But now here she was, standing behind Everett with a smirk on her face. "Boo!" She yelled, pushing his back to scare him.

Everett could only laugh at her attempt to startle him; too many years of living a dangerous life had honed his situational awareness. But he appreciated her effort.

And he was extremely relieved that she was alright.

"Nice try, Charlotte," he said as he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Been a while, I was worried about you," he mumbled into her hair.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I had some business to deal with back in Texas, that's why I was gone so long," she mumbled against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned her head back a bit to look up at him, her arms still wrapped around him, "I missed you, though."

[au-everett]

Everett smiled. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

He swallowed, realizing he had said sweetheart automatically, without thinking. She was cute, sure, but probably not interested in him like that...

"So, what brings you back east?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at the nickname he gave her. Then, she took a step back, a blush creeping up her neck after realizing that she had probably been hugging him for too long.

"Just some personal business, and looking for some sort of work," she replied with a shrug. "Any crazy exciting things happen to you while I was gone?" She asked as she looked at him, still with a big grin on her face.

She didn't know why she felt so happy when she was with him. Maybe it was because she had finally made a friend and she enjoyed his company, or maybe because she felt something different with him. She tried to ignore her attraction to him though, assuming that he wouldn't feel the same way..

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged too. "Nothing too interesting, really. A few bounties here and there, joined a posse with a local sheriff to round up a gang south of here, but that didn't pay very well. Tried a bit of treasure hunting, but that only led to a dead body and five dollars."

He tried not to think too hard about how long she had held onto him. He also tried not to let his hands linger when she pulled away, despite the urge to pull her back into his embrace.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte nodded, humming in response to what he said.

"If you aren't too busy, we could go to a saloon and get drinks. Or we could find something else to do. I still owe you for kinda ruining the last time we saw each other," she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at the ground instead of him. She still felt really bad for everything that had happened last time.

[au-everett]

He got a little closer to her and tipped her chin upwards, his grip gentle. "You didn't ruin anything, sweetheart. Don't worry about that," he said, assuring her with a calming tone.

Then Everett let her go and gestured towards the town. "Let's go to town, grab a beer, and check the bounty board. There's probably some scumbag that needs a few good punches before we turn'em in."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte stared at him when he tilted her chin up. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she shut her mouth and nodded instead.

"Are you sure me going after a bounty with you is a good idea?" She asked, starting to head towards the saloon.

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe not."

Then he suddenly lit up. Turning to Charlotte with a boyish grin, he pulled out a map. "We could go treasure hunting instead? Got a map from a feller, said there was a chest hidden out in Cumberland Forest."

He tilted his head. "Uh, unless you don't want to spend a few days out in the wilderness with a smelly man."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at him. "Sure, treasure hunting sounds fun. And you're not that smelly."

Once they got to the saloon, Charlotte went inside and bought them both a beer. She handed Everett his beer the sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"So you really think that there's a hidden treasure chest? That fella could've lied to you," she said, taking a sip of her beer.

[au-everett]

Everett took the beer with a nod of thanks and took a big, manly gulp before answering.

"Yeah, he coulda lied. But he gave me the map for a dollar and some of the venison I had on me. If he was lyin', I think he would've sold it for more."

[charlotte-finley]

"Yeah, I guess so." Charlotte shrugged. She quickly finished the rest of her beer then leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table.

"I'm ready to go when you are, unless you want to get another drink. I'm fine either way."

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged and knocked back the rest of his beer. Slamming to empty bottle on the table, he got up and held his hand out to Charlotte, an excited grin on his face that made him look like a kid about to go on an adventure. "Let's go then!"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "I mean, since you're ready an all." His attempt to act cool again was laughable at best.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte laughed and grabbed his hand, using it to pull herself out of her chair.

"Aww, you're like an excited puppy." She grinned at him, but her expression fell as she realized she was still holding onto his hand. She quickly let go and turned towards the doors of the saloon. "Sorry. Uh, we should get going now."

She quickly went outside and whistled for her horse, not waiting for him to follow her.

[au-everett]

Everett looked down at his hand, wondering at the lingering warmth for a moment before following after her.

After their horses arrived, he mounted up and pulled out his map, the edges a bit worn, drops of coffee staining the paper.

"We start by headin' south and finding a fork in the river, then we follow it for a bit until we reach a really narrow part that goes over a waterfall, climb down the rocks, go behind the waterfall, and find it in a cave. Easy."

Everett shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he looked with a concerned gaze at Charlotte. "You still in?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte mounted her horse and nodded along to what Everett was saying.

"Of course." She smiled and turned her horse in the direction they were supposed to go. "Are you sure you want me to go with you? I'm not the greatest person to spend a few days with."

[au-everett]

Everett scoffed. "You're plenty fun to spend time with. Stop that. Let's go and see what we can find."

He looked at her, daring her to go against his command before he urged his horse onwards, going south.

[charlotte-finley]

"If you say so," Charlotte shrugged. She nudged her horse forward and followed Everett.

After riding for a bit in silence, Charlotte turned to Everett, "Got any fun stories to tell me? Know any funny jokes?"

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his beard. "Hm, I dunno, lemme think for a moment."

After a few minutes, he turned to her with a grin. "There was a man with the last name Rose, who had a daughter. He named her 'Wild' so her full name was Wild Rose. It amused him for the longest time, until she grew up and he found out the man that proposed to her had the last name 'Bull.'"

He chuckled to himself, but looked at Charlotte to see if she was amused by his old humor.

[charlotte-finley]

She shook her head as she laughed, "That was stupid, but, I still enjoyed it."

Charlotte stared ahead for a moment, trying to think of something, then shrugged. "I don't have any good jokes to tell and my life wasn't exactly fun, so I have no happy stories to keep us entertained."

She turned to Everett, "How'd you get that scar?"

[au-everett]

Everett sighed. It was inevitable that someone would ask, and he was alright telling her. Charlotte would have found out sooner or later anyway.

"I got it from fighting with a gang of slavers. I wasn't careful, so the man got one on me. But he's dead now, so I guess I won in the end."

He didn't say anything after that, staring off into the distance for a few moments.

[charlotte-finley]

"I'm sorry, Everett," Charlotte frowned. She regretted asking the question. She didn't realize that the answer could've been personal, or a sensitive subject.

After a few minutes of riding in silence, she smiled softly at him, "Ask me a personal question. That way we'll be even."

[au-everett]

"You don't have to square up with me, Charlotte. If I wasn't willing to answer, I wouldn't have."

He leaned a bit closer, as much as he could on horseback, and smiled kindly at her. "But I'll ask you something later. I can't think of a question right now."

After a bit longer, Everett pointed at the fork in the river. "There it is. Now we just have to follow the river for a while."

He turned to her. "You still doin' alright? Need a break?"

[charlotte-finley]

"We could continue on. After we find the treasure we can set up camp and rest, and maybe I can hunt something for us to eat."

Charlotte paused for a moment, taking in their surroundings. "Or do you want to stop and take a break now?"

[au-everett]

"Nah, let's keep going while there's still light. We can rest later." He clicked his tongue to urge his horse onwards, following the river, sharing small talk with Charlotte until they reached a narrow part of the river before it cascaded over a cliff. By then, the sun was setting.

"Think we should climb down there when it's sun out, so we can see our steps."

Everett had gotten off his horse and peered over the edge of the cliff. Looking around, he spotted a very skinny, steep trail that cut back down the cliff.

"Looks like we'll have to leave the horses here in the morning, hope you're alright with that."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte got off her horse and stood next to Everett, looking over the edge of the cliff. "Yeah, that's fine. We can leave the horses here in the morning."

She glanced around the area then turned back to Everett. "We might as well set up camp here. I'll get a fire going for us."

[au-everett]

"Good girl," he said before realizing he might have sounded a little condescending. "I'll, uh, go see if I hunt us a rabbit for dinner."

He grabbed his bow off his horse and fled, for once not feeling like the confident charmer.

After wandering around for ten minutes, he spotted a small rabbit. Taking aim, he let loose an arrow, missing completely. Shaking his head at himself, he retrieved his arrow from the nearby bush and went to search for another one.

Forty minutes had passed before Everett came back, a pathetically small rabbit in his hand. "Sorry it took so long," he said, an embarrassed half-smile on his face.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte was sitting by the fire drawing in her journal when he got back. Her head snapped up when she heard his voice. "I was starting to get worried about you."

She set her journal down and raised an eyebrow at the small rabbit in his hand, then smiled at him. "I think I have some canned fruit in my saddle bag if we're still hungry after that," she chuckled. "Or, I could go out and look for another rabbit for us if I need to."

[au-everett]

"I've got a can of peas I can share too," he said, getting to work on skinning the rabbit. "It's gettin' late, wouldn't want you out there in the dark alone."

Everett winced at himself. He knew Charlotte could very well take care of herself, but he had been feeling a bit more protective of her as of late, though he couldn't quite pin down why he suddenly felt that way.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled at what he said and watched as he skinned the rabbit. Part of her wanted to ask what was going on with him - She noticed the way he'd tense up after saying certain things, and he had been acting a little off all day.

"I've got a question for you Everett," she started, "I have a big price on my head. Really big. Why haven't you tried to bring me in yet? You could do a lot with all that money."

[charlotte-finley]

[charlotte-finley]

New fit

[charlotte-finley]

[au-everett]

It had been a little over two months since Charlotte last saw Everett. She didn't mean to go so long without seeing him, but she had some business back in her home town that she had to take care of. But now here she was, standing behind Everett with a smirk on her face. "Boo!" She yelled, pushing his back to scare him.

Everett could only laugh at her attempt to startle him; too many years of living a dangerous life had honed his situational awareness. But he appreciated her effort.

And he was extremely relieved that she was alright.

"Nice try, Charlotte," he said as he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Been a while, I was worried about you," he mumbled into her hair.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I had some business to deal with back in Texas, that's why I was gone so long," she mumbled against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned her head back a bit to look up at him, her arms still wrapped around him, "I missed you, though."

[au-everett]

Everett smiled. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

He swallowed, realizing he had said sweetheart automatically, without thinking. She was cute, sure, but probably not interested in him like that...

"So, what brings you back east?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at the nickname he gave her. Then, she took a step back, a blush creeping up her neck after realizing that she had probably been hugging him for too long.

"Just some personal business, and looking for some sort of work," she replied with a shrug. "Any crazy exciting things happen to you while I was gone?" She asked as she looked at him, still with a big grin on her face.

She didn't know why she felt so happy when she was with him. Maybe it was because she had finally made a friend and she enjoyed his company, or maybe because she felt something different with him. She tried to ignore her attraction to him though, assuming that he wouldn't feel the same way..

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged too. "Nothing too interesting, really. A few bounties here and there, joined a posse with a local sheriff to round up a gang south of here, but that didn't pay very well. Tried a bit of treasure hunting, but that only led to a dead body and five dollars."

He tried not to think too hard about how long she had held onto him. He also tried not to let his hands linger when she pulled away, despite the urge to pull her back into his embrace.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte nodded, humming in response to what he said.

"If you aren't too busy, we could go to a saloon and get drinks. Or we could find something else to do. I still owe you for kinda ruining the last time we saw each other," she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at the ground instead of him. She still felt really bad for everything that had happened last time.

[au-everett]

He got a little closer to her and tipped her chin upwards, his grip gentle. "You didn't ruin anything, sweetheart. Don't worry about that," he said, assuring her with a calming tone.

Then Everett let her go and gestured towards the town. "Let's go to town, grab a beer, and check the bounty board. There's probably some scumbag that needs a few good punches before we turn'em in."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte stared at him when he tilted her chin up. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she shut her mouth and nodded instead.

"Are you sure me going after a bounty with you is a good idea?" She asked, starting to head towards the saloon.

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe not."

Then he suddenly lit up. Turning to Charlotte with a boyish grin, he pulled out a map. "We could go treasure hunting instead? Got a map from a feller, said there was a chest hidden out in Cumberland Forest."

He tilted his head. "Uh, unless you don't want to spend a few days out in the wilderness with a smelly man."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at him. "Sure, treasure hunting sounds fun. And you're not that smelly."

Once they got to the saloon, Charlotte went inside and bought them both a beer. She handed Everett his beer the sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"So you really think that there's a hidden treasure chest? That fella could've lied to you," she said, taking a sip of her beer.

[au-everett]

Everett took the beer with a nod of thanks and took a big, manly gulp before answering.

"Yeah, he coulda lied. But he gave me the map for a dollar and some of the venison I had on me. If he was lyin', I think he would've sold it for more."

[charlotte-finley]

"Yeah, I guess so." Charlotte shrugged. She quickly finished the rest of her beer then leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table.

"I'm ready to go when you are, unless you want to get another drink. I'm fine either way."

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged and knocked back the rest of his beer. Slamming to empty bottle on the table, he got up and held his hand out to Charlotte, an excited grin on his face that made him look like a kid about to go on an adventure. "Let's go then!"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "I mean, since you're ready an all." His attempt to act cool again was laughable at best.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte laughed and grabbed his hand, using it to pull herself out of her chair.

"Aww, you're like an excited puppy." She grinned at him, but her expression fell as she realized she was still holding onto his hand. She quickly let go and turned towards the doors of the saloon. "Sorry. Uh, we should get going now."

She quickly went outside and whistled for her horse, not waiting for him to follow her.

[au-everett]

Everett looked down at his hand, wondering at the lingering warmth for a moment before following after her.

After their horses arrived, he mounted up and pulled out his map, the edges a bit worn, drops of coffee staining the paper.

"We start by headin' south and finding a fork in the river, then we follow it for a bit until we reach a really narrow part that goes over a waterfall, climb down the rocks, go behind the waterfall, and find it in a cave. Easy."

Everett shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he looked with a concerned gaze at Charlotte. "You still in?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte mounted her horse and nodded along to what Everett was saying.

"Of course." She smiled and turned her horse in the direction they were supposed to go. "Are you sure you want me to go with you? I'm not the greatest person to spend a few days with."

[au-everett]

Everett scoffed. "You're plenty fun to spend time with. Stop that. Let's go and see what we can find."

He looked at her, daring her to go against his command before he urged his horse onwards, going south.

[charlotte-finley]

"If you say so," Charlotte shrugged. She nudged her horse forward and followed Everett.

After riding for a bit in silence, Charlotte turned to Everett, "Got any fun stories to tell me? Know any funny jokes?"

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his beard. "Hm, I dunno, lemme think for a moment."

After a few minutes, he turned to her with a grin. "There was a man with the last name Rose, who had a daughter. He named her 'Wild' so her full name was Wild Rose. It amused him for the longest time, until she grew up and he found out the man that proposed to her had the last name 'Bull.'"

He chuckled to himself, but looked at Charlotte to see if she was amused by his old humor.

[charlotte-finley]

She shook her head as she laughed, "That was stupid, but, I still enjoyed it."

Charlotte stared ahead for a moment, trying to think of something, then shrugged. "I don't have any good jokes to tell and my life wasn't exactly fun, so I have no happy stories to keep us entertained."

She turned to Everett, "How'd you get that scar?"

[au-everett]

Everett sighed. It was inevitable that someone would ask, and he was alright telling her. Charlotte would have found out sooner or later anyway.

"I got it from fighting with a gang of slavers. I wasn't careful, so the man got one on me. But he's dead now, so I guess I won in the end."

He didn't say anything after that, staring off into the distance for a few moments.

[charlotte-finley]

"I'm sorry, Everett," Charlotte frowned. She regretted asking the question. She didn't realize that the answer could've been personal, or a sensitive subject.

After a few minutes of riding in silence, she smiled softly at him, "Ask me a personal question. That way we'll be even."

[au-everett]

"You don't have to square up with me, Charlotte. If I wasn't willing to answer, I wouldn't have."

He leaned a bit closer, as much as he could on horseback, and smiled kindly at her. "But I'll ask you something later. I can't think of a question right now."

After a bit longer, Everett pointed at the fork in the river. "There it is. Now we just have to follow the river for a while."

He turned to her. "You still doin' alright? Need a break?"

[charlotte-finley]

"We could continue on. After we find the treasure we can set up camp and rest, and maybe I can hunt something for us to eat."

Charlotte paused for a moment, taking in their surroundings. "Or do you want to stop and take a break now?"

[au-everett]

"Nah, let's keep going while there's still light. We can rest later." He clicked his tongue to urge his horse onwards, following the river, sharing small talk with Charlotte until they reached a narrow part of the river before it cascaded over a cliff. By then, the sun was setting.

"Think we should climb down there when it's sun out, so we can see our steps."

Everett had gotten off his horse and peered over the edge of the cliff. Looking around, he spotted a very skinny, steep trail that cut back down the cliff.

"Looks like we'll have to leave the horses here in the morning, hope you're alright with that."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte got off her horse and stood next to Everett, looking over the edge of the cliff. "Yeah, that's fine. We can leave the horses here in the morning."

She glanced around the area then turned back to Everett. "We might as well set up camp here. I'll get a fire going for us."

[au-everett]

"Good girl," he said before realizing he might have sounded a little condescending. "I'll, uh, go see if I hunt us a rabbit for dinner."

He grabbed his bow off his horse and fled, for once not feeling like the confident charmer.

After wandering around for ten minutes, he spotted a small rabbit. Taking aim, he let loose an arrow, missing completely. Shaking his head at himself, he retrieved his arrow from the nearby bush and went to search for another one.

Forty minutes had passed before Everett came back, a pathetically small rabbit in his hand. "Sorry it took so long," he said, an embarrassed half-smile on his face.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte was sitting by the fire drawing in her journal when he got back. Her head snapped up when she heard his voice. "I was starting to get worried about you."

She set her journal down and raised an eyebrow at the small rabbit in his hand, then smiled at him. "I think I have some canned fruit in my saddle bag if we're still hungry after that," she chuckled. "Or, I could go out and look for another rabbit for us if I need to."

[charlotte-finley]

[charlotte-finley]

Ma'am please step on me.

[au-everett]

It had been a little over two months since Charlotte last saw Everett. She didn't mean to go so long without seeing him, but she had some business back in her home town that she had to take care of. But now here she was, standing behind Everett with a smirk on her face. "Boo!" She yelled, pushing his back to scare him.

Everett could only laugh at her attempt to startle him; too many years of living a dangerous life had honed his situational awareness. But he appreciated her effort.

And he was extremely relieved that she was alright.

"Nice try, Charlotte," he said as he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Been a while, I was worried about you," he mumbled into her hair.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I had some business to deal with back in Texas, that's why I was gone so long," she mumbled against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned her head back a bit to look up at him, her arms still wrapped around him, "I missed you, though."

[au-everett]

Everett smiled. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

He swallowed, realizing he had said sweetheart automatically, without thinking. She was cute, sure, but probably not interested in him like that...

"So, what brings you back east?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at the nickname he gave her. Then, she took a step back, a blush creeping up her neck after realizing that she had probably been hugging him for too long.

"Just some personal business, and looking for some sort of work," she replied with a shrug. "Any crazy exciting things happen to you while I was gone?" She asked as she looked at him, still with a big grin on her face.

She didn't know why she felt so happy when she was with him. Maybe it was because she had finally made a friend and she enjoyed his company, or maybe because she felt something different with him. She tried to ignore her attraction to him though, assuming that he wouldn't feel the same way..

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged too. "Nothing too interesting, really. A few bounties here and there, joined a posse with a local sheriff to round up a gang south of here, but that didn't pay very well. Tried a bit of treasure hunting, but that only led to a dead body and five dollars."

He tried not to think too hard about how long she had held onto him. He also tried not to let his hands linger when she pulled away, despite the urge to pull her back into his embrace.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte nodded, humming in response to what he said.

"If you aren't too busy, we could go to a saloon and get drinks. Or we could find something else to do. I still owe you for kinda ruining the last time we saw each other," she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at the ground instead of him. She still felt really bad for everything that had happened last time.

[au-everett]

He got a little closer to her and tipped her chin upwards, his grip gentle. "You didn't ruin anything, sweetheart. Don't worry about that," he said, assuring her with a calming tone.

Then Everett let her go and gestured towards the town. "Let's go to town, grab a beer, and check the bounty board. There's probably some scumbag that needs a few good punches before we turn'em in."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte stared at him when he tilted her chin up. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she shut her mouth and nodded instead.

"Are you sure me going after a bounty with you is a good idea?" She asked, starting to head towards the saloon.

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe not."

Then he suddenly lit up. Turning to Charlotte with a boyish grin, he pulled out a map. "We could go treasure hunting instead? Got a map from a feller, said there was a chest hidden out in Cumberland Forest."

He tilted his head. "Uh, unless you don't want to spend a few days out in the wilderness with a smelly man."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at him. "Sure, treasure hunting sounds fun. And you're not that smelly."

Once they got to the saloon, Charlotte went inside and bought them both a beer. She handed Everett his beer the sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"So you really think that there's a hidden treasure chest? That fella could've lied to you," she said, taking a sip of her beer.

[au-everett]

Everett took the beer with a nod of thanks and took a big, manly gulp before answering.

"Yeah, he coulda lied. But he gave me the map for a dollar and some of the venison I had on me. If he was lyin', I think he would've sold it for more."

[charlotte-finley]

"Yeah, I guess so." Charlotte shrugged. She quickly finished the rest of her beer then leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table.

"I'm ready to go when you are, unless you want to get another drink. I'm fine either way."

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged and knocked back the rest of his beer. Slamming to empty bottle on the table, he got up and held his hand out to Charlotte, an excited grin on his face that made him look like a kid about to go on an adventure. "Let's go then!"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "I mean, since you're ready an all." His attempt to act cool again was laughable at best.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte laughed and grabbed his hand, using it to pull herself out of her chair.

"Aww, you're like an excited puppy." She grinned at him, but her expression fell as she realized she was still holding onto his hand. She quickly let go and turned towards the doors of the saloon. "Sorry. Uh, we should get going now."

She quickly went outside and whistled for her horse, not waiting for him to follow her.

[au-everett]

Everett looked down at his hand, wondering at the lingering warmth for a moment before following after her.

After their horses arrived, he mounted up and pulled out his map, the edges a bit worn, drops of coffee staining the paper.

"We start by headin' south and finding a fork in the river, then we follow it for a bit until we reach a really narrow part that goes over a waterfall, climb down the rocks, go behind the waterfall, and find it in a cave. Easy."

Everett shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he looked with a concerned gaze at Charlotte. "You still in?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte mounted her horse and nodded along to what Everett was saying.

"Of course." She smiled and turned her horse in the direction they were supposed to go. "Are you sure you want me to go with you? I'm not the greatest person to spend a few days with."

[au-everett]

Everett scoffed. "You're plenty fun to spend time with. Stop that. Let's go and see what we can find."

He looked at her, daring her to go against his command before he urged his horse onwards, going south.

[charlotte-finley]

"If you say so," Charlotte shrugged. She nudged her horse forward and followed Everett.

After riding for a bit in silence, Charlotte turned to Everett, "Got any fun stories to tell me? Know any funny jokes?"

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his beard. "Hm, I dunno, lemme think for a moment."

After a few minutes, he turned to her with a grin. "There was a man with the last name Rose, who had a daughter. He named her 'Wild' so her full name was Wild Rose. It amused him for the longest time, until she grew up and he found out the man that proposed to her had the last name 'Bull.'"

He chuckled to himself, but looked at Charlotte to see if she was amused by his old humor.

[charlotte-finley]

She shook her head as she laughed, "That was stupid, but, I still enjoyed it."

Charlotte stared ahead for a moment, trying to think of something, then shrugged. "I don't have any good jokes to tell and my life wasn't exactly fun, so I have no happy stories to keep us entertained."

She turned to Everett, "How'd you get that scar?"

[au-everett]

Everett sighed. It was inevitable that someone would ask, and he was alright telling her. Charlotte would have found out sooner or later anyway.

"I got it from fighting with a gang of slavers. I wasn't careful, so the man got one on me. But he's dead now, so I guess I won in the end."

He didn't say anything after that, staring off into the distance for a few moments.

[charlotte-finley]

"I'm sorry, Everett," Charlotte frowned. She regretted asking the question. She didn't realize that the answer could've been personal, or a sensitive subject.

After a few minutes of riding in silence, she smiled softly at him, "Ask me a personal question. That way we'll be even."

[au-everett]

"You don't have to square up with me, Charlotte. If I wasn't willing to answer, I wouldn't have."

He leaned a bit closer, as much as he could on horseback, and smiled kindly at her. "But I'll ask you something later. I can't think of a question right now."

After a bit longer, Everett pointed at the fork in the river. "There it is. Now we just have to follow the river for a while."

He turned to her. "You still doin' alright? Need a break?"

[charlotte-finley]

"We could continue on. After we find the treasure we can set up camp and rest, and maybe I can hunt something for us to eat."

Charlotte paused for a moment, taking in their surroundings. "Or do you want to stop and take a break now?"

[au-everett]

"Nah, let's keep going while there's still light. We can rest later." He clicked his tongue to urge his horse onwards, following the river, sharing small talk with Charlotte until they reached a narrow part of the river before it cascaded over a cliff. By then, the sun was setting.

"Think we should climb down there when it's sun out, so we can see our steps."

Everett had gotten off his horse and peered over the edge of the cliff. Looking around, he spotted a very skinny, steep trail that cut back down the cliff.

"Looks like we'll have to leave the horses here in the morning, hope you're alright with that."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte got off her horse and stood next to Everett, looking over the edge of the cliff. "Yeah, that's fine. We can leave the horses here in the morning."

She glanced around the area then turned back to Everett. "We might as well set up camp here. I'll get a fire going for us."

[au-everett]

It had been a little over two months since Charlotte last saw Everett. She didn't mean to go so long without seeing him, but she had some business back in her home town that she had to take care of. But now here she was, standing behind Everett with a smirk on her face. "Boo!" She yelled, pushing his back to scare him.

Everett could only laugh at her attempt to startle him; too many years of living a dangerous life had honed his situational awareness. But he appreciated her effort.

And he was extremely relieved that she was alright.

"Nice try, Charlotte," he said as he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Been a while, I was worried about you," he mumbled into her hair.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I had some business to deal with back in Texas, that's why I was gone so long," she mumbled against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned her head back a bit to look up at him, her arms still wrapped around him, "I missed you, though."

[au-everett]

Everett smiled. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

He swallowed, realizing he had said sweetheart automatically, without thinking. She was cute, sure, but probably not interested in him like that...

"So, what brings you back east?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at the nickname he gave her. Then, she took a step back, a blush creeping up her neck after realizing that she had probably been hugging him for too long.

"Just some personal business, and looking for some sort of work," she replied with a shrug. "Any crazy exciting things happen to you while I was gone?" She asked as she looked at him, still with a big grin on her face.

She didn't know why she felt so happy when she was with him. Maybe it was because she had finally made a friend and she enjoyed his company, or maybe because she felt something different with him. She tried to ignore her attraction to him though, assuming that he wouldn't feel the same way..

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged too. "Nothing too interesting, really. A few bounties here and there, joined a posse with a local sheriff to round up a gang south of here, but that didn't pay very well. Tried a bit of treasure hunting, but that only led to a dead body and five dollars."

He tried not to think too hard about how long she had held onto him. He also tried not to let his hands linger when she pulled away, despite the urge to pull her back into his embrace.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte nodded, humming in response to what he said.

"If you aren't too busy, we could go to a saloon and get drinks. Or we could find something else to do. I still owe you for kinda ruining the last time we saw each other," she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at the ground instead of him. She still felt really bad for everything that had happened last time.

[au-everett]

He got a little closer to her and tipped her chin upwards, his grip gentle. "You didn't ruin anything, sweetheart. Don't worry about that," he said, assuring her with a calming tone.

Then Everett let her go and gestured towards the town. "Let's go to town, grab a beer, and check the bounty board. There's probably some scumbag that needs a few good punches before we turn'em in."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte stared at him when he tilted her chin up. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she shut her mouth and nodded instead.

"Are you sure me going after a bounty with you is a good idea?" She asked, starting to head towards the saloon.

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe not."

Then he suddenly lit up. Turning to Charlotte with a boyish grin, he pulled out a map. "We could go treasure hunting instead? Got a map from a feller, said there was a chest hidden out in Cumberland Forest."

He tilted his head. "Uh, unless you don't want to spend a few days out in the wilderness with a smelly man."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at him. "Sure, treasure hunting sounds fun. And you're not that smelly."

Once they got to the saloon, Charlotte went inside and bought them both a beer. She handed Everett his beer the sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"So you really think that there's a hidden treasure chest? That fella could've lied to you," she said, taking a sip of her beer.

[au-everett]

Everett took the beer with a nod of thanks and took a big, manly gulp before answering.

"Yeah, he coulda lied. But he gave me the map for a dollar and some of the venison I had on me. If he was lyin', I think he would've sold it for more."

[charlotte-finley]

"Yeah, I guess so." Charlotte shrugged. She quickly finished the rest of her beer then leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table.

"I'm ready to go when you are, unless you want to get another drink. I'm fine either way."

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged and knocked back the rest of his beer. Slamming to empty bottle on the table, he got up and held his hand out to Charlotte, an excited grin on his face that made him look like a kid about to go on an adventure. "Let's go then!"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "I mean, since you're ready an all." His attempt to act cool again was laughable at best.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte laughed and grabbed his hand, using it to pull herself out of her chair.

"Aww, you're like an excited puppy." She grinned at him, but her expression fell as she realized she was still holding onto his hand. She quickly let go and turned towards the doors of the saloon. "Sorry. Uh, we should get going now."

She quickly went outside and whistled for her horse, not waiting for him to follow her.

[au-everett]

Everett looked down at his hand, wondering at the lingering warmth for a moment before following after her.

After their horses arrived, he mounted up and pulled out his map, the edges a bit worn, drops of coffee staining the paper.

"We start by headin' south and finding a fork in the river, then we follow it for a bit until we reach a really narrow part that goes over a waterfall, climb down the rocks, go behind the waterfall, and find it in a cave. Easy."

Everett shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he looked with a concerned gaze at Charlotte. "You still in?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte mounted her horse and nodded along to what Everett was saying.

"Of course." She smiled and turned her horse in the direction they were supposed to go. "Are you sure you want me to go with you? I'm not the greatest person to spend a few days with."

[au-everett]

Everett scoffed. "You're plenty fun to spend time with. Stop that. Let's go and see what we can find."

He looked at her, daring her to go against his command before he urged his horse onwards, going south.

[charlotte-finley]

"If you say so," Charlotte shrugged. She nudged her horse forward and followed Everett.

After riding for a bit in silence, Charlotte turned to Everett, "Got any fun stories to tell me? Know any funny jokes?"

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his beard. "Hm, I dunno, lemme think for a moment."

After a few minutes, he turned to her with a grin. "There was a man with the last name Rose, who had a daughter. He named her 'Wild' so her full name was Wild Rose. It amused him for the longest time, until she grew up and he found out the man that proposed to her had the last name 'Bull.'"

He chuckled to himself, but looked at Charlotte to see if she was amused by his old humor.

[charlotte-finley]

She shook her head as she laughed, "That was stupid, but, I still enjoyed it."

Charlotte stared ahead for a moment, trying to think of something, then shrugged. "I don't have any good jokes to tell and my life wasn't exactly fun, so I have no happy stories to keep us entertained."

She turned to Everett, "How'd you get that scar?"

[au-everett]

Everett sighed. It was inevitable that someone would ask, and he was alright telling her. Charlotte would have found out sooner or later anyway.

"I got it from fighting with a gang of slavers. I wasn't careful, so the man got one on me. But he's dead now, so I guess I won in the end."

He didn't say anything after that, staring off into the distance for a few moments.

[charlotte-finley]

"I'm sorry, Everett," Charlotte frowned. She regretted asking the question. She didn't realize that the answer could've been personal, or a sensitive subject.

After a few minutes of riding in silence, she smiled softly at him, "Ask me a personal question. That way we'll be even."

[au-everett]

"You don't have to square up with me, Charlotte. If I wasn't willing to answer, I wouldn't have."

He leaned a bit closer, as much as he could on horseback, and smiled kindly at her. "But I'll ask you something later. I can't think of a question right now."

After a bit longer, Everett pointed at the fork in the river. "There it is. Now we just have to follow the river for a while."

He turned to her. "You still doin' alright? Need a break?"

[charlotte-finley]

"We could continue on. After we find the treasure we can set up camp and rest, and maybe I can hunt something for us to eat."

Charlotte paused for a moment, taking in their surroundings. "Or do you want to stop and take a break now?"

[charlotte-finley]

[charlotte-finley]

Babe, there's something lonesome about you

Something so wholesome about you

Get closer to me

[au-everett]

It had been a little over two months since Charlotte last saw Everett. She didn't mean to go so long without seeing him, but she had some business back in her home town that she had to take care of. But now here she was, standing behind Everett with a smirk on her face. "Boo!" She yelled, pushing his back to scare him.

Everett could only laugh at her attempt to startle him; too many years of living a dangerous life had honed his situational awareness. But he appreciated her effort.

And he was extremely relieved that she was alright.

"Nice try, Charlotte," he said as he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Been a while, I was worried about you," he mumbled into her hair.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I had some business to deal with back in Texas, that's why I was gone so long," she mumbled against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned her head back a bit to look up at him, her arms still wrapped around him, "I missed you, though."

[au-everett]

Everett smiled. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

He swallowed, realizing he had said sweetheart automatically, without thinking. She was cute, sure, but probably not interested in him like that...

"So, what brings you back east?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at the nickname he gave her. Then, she took a step back, a blush creeping up her neck after realizing that she had probably been hugging him for too long.

"Just some personal business, and looking for some sort of work," she replied with a shrug. "Any crazy exciting things happen to you while I was gone?" She asked as she looked at him, still with a big grin on her face.

She didn't know why she felt so happy when she was with him. Maybe it was because she had finally made a friend and she enjoyed his company, or maybe because she felt something different with him. She tried to ignore her attraction to him though, assuming that he wouldn't feel the same way..

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged too. "Nothing too interesting, really. A few bounties here and there, joined a posse with a local sheriff to round up a gang south of here, but that didn't pay very well. Tried a bit of treasure hunting, but that only led to a dead body and five dollars."

He tried not to think too hard about how long she had held onto him. He also tried not to let his hands linger when she pulled away, despite the urge to pull her back into his embrace.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte nodded, humming in response to what he said.

"If you aren't too busy, we could go to a saloon and get drinks. Or we could find something else to do. I still owe you for kinda ruining the last time we saw each other," she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at the ground instead of him. She still felt really bad for everything that had happened last time.

[au-everett]

He got a little closer to her and tipped her chin upwards, his grip gentle. "You didn't ruin anything, sweetheart. Don't worry about that," he said, assuring her with a calming tone.

Then Everett let her go and gestured towards the town. "Let's go to town, grab a beer, and check the bounty board. There's probably some scumbag that needs a few good punches before we turn'em in."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte stared at him when he tilted her chin up. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she shut her mouth and nodded instead.

"Are you sure me going after a bounty with you is a good idea?" She asked, starting to head towards the saloon.

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe not."

Then he suddenly lit up. Turning to Charlotte with a boyish grin, he pulled out a map. "We could go treasure hunting instead? Got a map from a feller, said there was a chest hidden out in Cumberland Forest."

He tilted his head. "Uh, unless you don't want to spend a few days out in the wilderness with a smelly man."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at him. "Sure, treasure hunting sounds fun. And you're not that smelly."

Once they got to the saloon, Charlotte went inside and bought them both a beer. She handed Everett his beer the sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"So you really think that there's a hidden treasure chest? That fella could've lied to you," she said, taking a sip of her beer.

[au-everett]

Everett took the beer with a nod of thanks and took a big, manly gulp before answering.

"Yeah, he coulda lied. But he gave me the map for a dollar and some of the venison I had on me. If he was lyin', I think he would've sold it for more."

[charlotte-finley]

"Yeah, I guess so." Charlotte shrugged. She quickly finished the rest of her beer then leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table.

"I'm ready to go when you are, unless you want to get another drink. I'm fine either way."

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged and knocked back the rest of his beer. Slamming to empty bottle on the table, he got up and held his hand out to Charlotte, an excited grin on his face that made him look like a kid about to go on an adventure. "Let's go then!"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "I mean, since you're ready an all." His attempt to act cool again was laughable at best.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte laughed and grabbed his hand, using it to pull herself out of her chair.

"Aww, you're like an excited puppy." She grinned at him, but her expression fell as she realized she was still holding onto his hand. She quickly let go and turned towards the doors of the saloon. "Sorry. Uh, we should get going now."

She quickly went outside and whistled for her horse, not waiting for him to follow her.

[au-everett]

Everett looked down at his hand, wondering at the lingering warmth for a moment before following after her.

After their horses arrived, he mounted up and pulled out his map, the edges a bit worn, drops of coffee staining the paper.

"We start by headin' south and finding a fork in the river, then we follow it for a bit until we reach a really narrow part that goes over a waterfall, climb down the rocks, go behind the waterfall, and find it in a cave. Easy."

Everett shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he looked with a concerned gaze at Charlotte. "You still in?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte mounted her horse and nodded along to what Everett was saying.

"Of course." She smiled and turned her horse in the direction they were supposed to go. "Are you sure you want me to go with you? I'm not the greatest person to spend a few days with."

[au-everett]

Everett scoffed. "You're plenty fun to spend time with. Stop that. Let's go and see what we can find."

He looked at her, daring her to go against his command before he urged his horse onwards, going south.

[charlotte-finley]

"If you say so," Charlotte shrugged. She nudged her horse forward and followed Everett.

After riding for a bit in silence, Charlotte turned to Everett, "Got any fun stories to tell me? Know any funny jokes?"

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his beard. "Hm, I dunno, lemme think for a moment."

After a few minutes, he turned to her with a grin. "There was a man with the last name Rose, who had a daughter. He named her 'Wild' so her full name was Wild Rose. It amused him for the longest time, until she grew up and he found out the man that proposed to her had the last name 'Bull.'"

He chuckled to himself, but looked at Charlotte to see if she was amused by his old humor.

[charlotte-finley]

She shook her head as she laughed, "That was stupid, but, I still enjoyed it."

Charlotte stared ahead for a moment, trying to think of something, then shrugged. "I don't have any good jokes to tell and my life wasn't exactly fun, so I have no happy stories to keep us entertained."

She turned to Everett, "How'd you get that scar?"

[au-everett]

Everett sighed. It was inevitable that someone would ask, and he was alright telling her. Charlotte would have found out sooner or later anyway.

"I got it from fighting with a gang of slavers. I wasn't careful, so the man got one on me. But he's dead now, so I guess I won in the end."

He didn't say anything after that, staring off into the distance for a few moments.

[charlotte-finley]

"I'm sorry, Everett," Charlotte frowned. She regretted asking the question. She didn't realize that the answer could've been personal, or a sensitive subject.

After a few minutes of riding in silence, she smiled softly at him, "Ask me a personal question. That way we'll be even."

[au-everett]

It had been a little over two months since Charlotte last saw Everett. She didn't mean to go so long without seeing him, but she had some business back in her home town that she had to take care of. But now here she was, standing behind Everett with a smirk on her face. "Boo!" She yelled, pushing his back to scare him.

Everett could only laugh at her attempt to startle him; too many years of living a dangerous life had honed his situational awareness. But he appreciated her effort.

And he was extremely relieved that she was alright.

"Nice try, Charlotte," he said as he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Been a while, I was worried about you," he mumbled into her hair.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I had some business to deal with back in Texas, that's why I was gone so long," she mumbled against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned her head back a bit to look up at him, her arms still wrapped around him, "I missed you, though."

[au-everett]

Everett smiled. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

He swallowed, realizing he had said sweetheart automatically, without thinking. She was cute, sure, but probably not interested in him like that...

"So, what brings you back east?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at the nickname he gave her. Then, she took a step back, a blush creeping up her neck after realizing that she had probably been hugging him for too long.

"Just some personal business, and looking for some sort of work," she replied with a shrug. "Any crazy exciting things happen to you while I was gone?" She asked as she looked at him, still with a big grin on her face.

She didn't know why she felt so happy when she was with him. Maybe it was because she had finally made a friend and she enjoyed his company, or maybe because she felt something different with him. She tried to ignore her attraction to him though, assuming that he wouldn't feel the same way..

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged too. "Nothing too interesting, really. A few bounties here and there, joined a posse with a local sheriff to round up a gang south of here, but that didn't pay very well. Tried a bit of treasure hunting, but that only led to a dead body and five dollars."

He tried not to think too hard about how long she had held onto him. He also tried not to let his hands linger when she pulled away, despite the urge to pull her back into his embrace.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte nodded, humming in response to what he said.

"If you aren't too busy, we could go to a saloon and get drinks. Or we could find something else to do. I still owe you for kinda ruining the last time we saw each other," she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at the ground instead of him. She still felt really bad for everything that had happened last time.

[au-everett]

He got a little closer to her and tipped her chin upwards, his grip gentle. "You didn't ruin anything, sweetheart. Don't worry about that," he said, assuring her with a calming tone.

Then Everett let her go and gestured towards the town. "Let's go to town, grab a beer, and check the bounty board. There's probably some scumbag that needs a few good punches before we turn'em in."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte stared at him when he tilted her chin up. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she shut her mouth and nodded instead.

"Are you sure me going after a bounty with you is a good idea?" She asked, starting to head towards the saloon.

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe not."

Then he suddenly lit up. Turning to Charlotte with a boyish grin, he pulled out a map. "We could go treasure hunting instead? Got a map from a feller, said there was a chest hidden out in Cumberland Forest."

He tilted his head. "Uh, unless you don't want to spend a few days out in the wilderness with a smelly man."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at him. "Sure, treasure hunting sounds fun. And you're not that smelly."

Once they got to the saloon, Charlotte went inside and bought them both a beer. She handed Everett his beer the sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"So you really think that there's a hidden treasure chest? That fella could've lied to you," she said, taking a sip of her beer.

[au-everett]

Everett took the beer with a nod of thanks and took a big, manly gulp before answering.

"Yeah, he coulda lied. But he gave me the map for a dollar and some of the venison I had on me. If he was lyin', I think he would've sold it for more."

[charlotte-finley]

"Yeah, I guess so." Charlotte shrugged. She quickly finished the rest of her beer then leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table.

"I'm ready to go when you are, unless you want to get another drink. I'm fine either way."

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged and knocked back the rest of his beer. Slamming to empty bottle on the table, he got up and held his hand out to Charlotte, an excited grin on his face that made him look like a kid about to go on an adventure. "Let's go then!"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "I mean, since you're ready an all." His attempt to act cool again was laughable at best.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte laughed and grabbed his hand, using it to pull herself out of her chair.

"Aww, you're like an excited puppy." She grinned at him, but her expression fell as she realized she was still holding onto his hand. She quickly let go and turned towards the doors of the saloon. "Sorry. Uh, we should get going now."

She quickly went outside and whistled for her horse, not waiting for him to follow her.

[au-everett]

Everett looked down at his hand, wondering at the lingering warmth for a moment before following after her.

After their horses arrived, he mounted up and pulled out his map, the edges a bit worn, drops of coffee staining the paper.

"We start by headin' south and finding a fork in the river, then we follow it for a bit until we reach a really narrow part that goes over a waterfall, climb down the rocks, go behind the waterfall, and find it in a cave. Easy."

Everett shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he looked with a concerned gaze at Charlotte. "You still in?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte mounted her horse and nodded along to what Everett was saying.

"Of course." She smiled and turned her horse in the direction they were supposed to go. "Are you sure you want me to go with you? I'm not the greatest person to spend a few days with."

[au-everett]

Everett scoffed. "You're plenty fun to spend time with. Stop that. Let's go and see what we can find."

He looked at her, daring her to go against his command before he urged his horse onwards, going south.

[charlotte-finley]

"If you say so," Charlotte shrugged. She nudged her horse forward and followed Everett.

After riding for a bit in silence, Charlotte turned to Everett, "Got any fun stories to tell me? Know any funny jokes?"

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his beard. "Hm, I dunno, lemme think for a moment."

After a few minutes, he turned to her with a grin. "There was a man with the last name Rose, who had a daughter. He named her 'Wild' so her full name was Wild Rose. It amused him for the longest time, until she grew up and he found out the man that proposed to her had the last name 'Bull.'"

He chuckled to himself, but looked at Charlotte to see if she was amused by his old humor.

[charlotte-finley]

She shook her head as she laughed, "That was stupid, but, I still enjoyed it."

Charlotte stared ahead for a moment, trying to think of something, then shrugged. "I don't have any good jokes to tell and my life wasn't exactly fun, so I have no happy stories to keep us entertained."

She turned to Everett, "How'd you get that scar?"

[charlotte-finley]

With her sweetened breath, and her tongue so mean, she's the angel of small death and the codeine scene.

[charlotte-finley]

Guess who got ANOTHER new horse!

[au-everett]

It had been a little over two months since Charlotte last saw Everett. She didn't mean to go so long without seeing him, but she had some business back in her home town that she had to take care of. But now here she was, standing behind Everett with a smirk on her face. "Boo!" She yelled, pushing his back to scare him.

Everett could only laugh at her attempt to startle him; too many years of living a dangerous life had honed his situational awareness. But he appreciated her effort.

And he was extremely relieved that she was alright.

"Nice try, Charlotte," he said as he turned and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him for a hug. "Been a while, I was worried about you," he mumbled into her hair.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte smiled and hugged him back tightly. "I had some business to deal with back in Texas, that's why I was gone so long," she mumbled against his shoulder. After a moment, she leaned her head back a bit to look up at him, her arms still wrapped around him, "I missed you, though."

[au-everett]

Everett smiled. "Missed you too, sweetheart."

He swallowed, realizing he had said sweetheart automatically, without thinking. She was cute, sure, but probably not interested in him like that...

"So, what brings you back east?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at the nickname he gave her. Then, she took a step back, a blush creeping up her neck after realizing that she had probably been hugging him for too long.

"Just some personal business, and looking for some sort of work," she replied with a shrug. "Any crazy exciting things happen to you while I was gone?" She asked as she looked at him, still with a big grin on her face.

She didn't know why she felt so happy when she was with him. Maybe it was because she had finally made a friend and she enjoyed his company, or maybe because she felt something different with him. She tried to ignore her attraction to him though, assuming that he wouldn't feel the same way..

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged too. "Nothing too interesting, really. A few bounties here and there, joined a posse with a local sheriff to round up a gang south of here, but that didn't pay very well. Tried a bit of treasure hunting, but that only led to a dead body and five dollars."

He tried not to think too hard about how long she had held onto him. He also tried not to let his hands linger when she pulled away, despite the urge to pull her back into his embrace.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte nodded, humming in response to what he said.

"If you aren't too busy, we could go to a saloon and get drinks. Or we could find something else to do. I still owe you for kinda ruining the last time we saw each other," she chuckled awkwardly, looking down at the ground instead of him. She still felt really bad for everything that had happened last time.

[au-everett]

He got a little closer to her and tipped her chin upwards, his grip gentle. "You didn't ruin anything, sweetheart. Don't worry about that," he said, assuring her with a calming tone.

Then Everett let her go and gestured towards the town. "Let's go to town, grab a beer, and check the bounty board. There's probably some scumbag that needs a few good punches before we turn'em in."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte stared at him when he tilted her chin up. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, so she shut her mouth and nodded instead.

"Are you sure me going after a bounty with you is a good idea?" She asked, starting to head towards the saloon.

[au-everett]

Everett scratched his chin in thought. "Hmm, maybe not."

Then he suddenly lit up. Turning to Charlotte with a boyish grin, he pulled out a map. "We could go treasure hunting instead? Got a map from a feller, said there was a chest hidden out in Cumberland Forest."

He tilted his head. "Uh, unless you don't want to spend a few days out in the wilderness with a smelly man."

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte grinned at him. "Sure, treasure hunting sounds fun. And you're not that smelly."

Once they got to the saloon, Charlotte went inside and bought them both a beer. She handed Everett his beer the sat at a table in the corner of the room.

"So you really think that there's a hidden treasure chest? That fella could've lied to you," she said, taking a sip of her beer.

[au-everett]

Everett took the beer with a nod of thanks and took a big, manly gulp before answering.

"Yeah, he coulda lied. But he gave me the map for a dollar and some of the venison I had on me. If he was lyin', I think he would've sold it for more."

[charlotte-finley]

"Yeah, I guess so." Charlotte shrugged. She quickly finished the rest of her beer then leaned back in her chair, kicking her feet up onto the table.

"I'm ready to go when you are, unless you want to get another drink. I'm fine either way."

[au-everett]

Everett shrugged and knocked back the rest of his beer. Slamming to empty bottle on the table, he got up and held his hand out to Charlotte, an excited grin on his face that made him look like a kid about to go on an adventure. "Let's go then!"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "I mean, since you're ready an all." His attempt to act cool again was laughable at best.

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte laughed and grabbed his hand, using it to pull herself out of her chair.

"Aww, you're like an excited puppy." She grinned at him, but her expression fell as she realized she was still holding onto his hand. She quickly let go and turned towards the doors of the saloon. "Sorry. Uh, we should get going now."

She quickly went outside and whistled for her horse, not waiting for him to follow her.

[au-everett]

Everett looked down at his hand, wondering at the lingering warmth for a moment before following after her.

After their horses arrived, he mounted up and pulled out his map, the edges a bit worn, drops of coffee staining the paper.

"We start by headin' south and finding a fork in the river, then we follow it for a bit until we reach a really narrow part that goes over a waterfall, climb down the rocks, go behind the waterfall, and find it in a cave. Easy."

Everett shrugged as if it was no big deal, but he looked with a concerned gaze at Charlotte. "You still in?"

[charlotte-finley]

Charlotte mounted her horse and nodded along to what Everett was saying.

"Of course." She smiled and turned her horse in the direction they were supposed to go. "Are you sure you want me to go with you? I'm not the greatest person to spend a few days with."

[au-everett]

Everett scoffed. "You're plenty fun to spend time with. Stop that. Let's go and see what we can find."

He looked at her, daring her to go against his command before he urged his horse onwards, going south.

[charlotte-finley]

"If you say so," Charlotte shrugged. She nudged her horse forward and followed Everett.

After riding for a bit in silence, Charlotte turned to Everett, "Got any fun stories to tell me? Know any funny jokes?"