CRUEL WORLD , MUST I GO ON ?

independent red dead redemption & wild west original character

[kctysha]

#KCTYSHA​​ is an independent roleplay blog for yekaterina alexandrova bakova , an original character based in red dead redemption .

ㅤi . ㅤcarrdㅤㅤi i . ㅤguidelinesㅤㅤi i i . ㅤmusesㅤㅤi v . ㅤopensㅤㅤv . ㅤmemes

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤfollows back from @glittrdgcld

[kingsmemes]

「   RP MEME :   BETWEEN TWO FIRES.   」     * change pronouns as needed. 

' love is always harder. '

' time to armor up. '

' maybe god would be more generous if you swore less. '

' i suppose you killed him. '

' forgiveness, then, is possible even for the worst. '

' if it goes badly for us, run like a young man. '

' i don't ride with him. '

' she was tempted by something stronger than her. '

' many of them died. '

' well, i do what i say. which is why i don’t say much. '

' i killed her for talking. '

' not without love. not without forgiveness. '

' it's just a dream. '

' i thought souls were invisible. '

' you bleeding all over my things doesn't help you, me, or anybody. understand? '

' don't kill him. don't kill anyone else again. '

' are we really going to the river? '

' your joking is pleasant, but it doesn't hide the hole in you. '

' what have we done to make god so mad at us? '

' it seemed the darkness had no end. '

' no tears, and no talk of devils. '

' making you happy is not my job. '

' you only half believe there's a monster at the river. '

' how did heaven come into all of this? '

' he shouldn't have made things so hard on us. '

' you just have to say yes or no. '

' you're not supposed to do that. '

' let us do what we will, and take what we may. '

' some righteous people still hold faith. '

' they want you. '

' i find it very pretty. '

' i'm not going to let you die for having a kind heart. '

' if you were not deaf to your own heart, you would know. '

' there's something weak in this man. '

' this is the one thing i can do as well as anyone else. '

' hell, like prison, is worse when you don't feel you've earned it. '

' we’re all dead men, and women. '

' what are you looking for? '

' are there souls at all? '

' do not leave me alone. '

' they'll kill the good ones first, and when all the good men are dead, they'll come for men like you. '

' what was it that happened? '

' i counter what you don't know with what i do know. '

' he wants chaos and death? '

' all we can do is try to have a little fun before the mower comes for us, eh? '

' you'll get your castle back. '

' you're just saying these things to make yourself feel better. '

' we are in a grave already, all of us. '

' they'll take good and bad alike to hell. '

' love is the loss of self, the loss of other, and faith in the death of loss. '

' this is exceptional stew. '

' all is lost. '

' i'm glad you two are so godsdamned happy. '

' what have we done that our fathers and their fathers have not done? '

' his sleep is deep. '

' it is important to know the names of things. '

' death, where are your teeth? '

' don't let them die because of me. '

[mistermxrgan]

❝ can i come with you? ❞ (from @kctysha) (I deleted instead of editing, like an idiot. I'm sorry.)

Brows knotted as he grew confused by their request. He was planning to go somewhere to collect his thoughts to himself, all before a possible future heist. Or whatever Dutch had brewed for a plan. "Why? Are you bored here?"

[kctysha]

❛ the company leaves something to be desired , ❜ yekaterina nudged her head just slightly towards the campfire , where a few were already well into their bottles . she toyed with her fingers in front of her while she glanced back at arthur . ❛ i haven't left camp in days . . . i'll be quiet , i promise . ❜

[cryptinspo]

– 𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗢𝗠 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗦 !

"Don’t look back."

"I missed you."

"It’s too late."

"Please don’t go."

"You promised me."

"Who did this?"

"I forgive you."

"We were gods."

"Leave me alone."

"They found us."

"Trust me, please."

"I need help."

"Run. Don’t stop."

"It wasn’t me."

"I remember everything."

"Burn it all."

"Tell me why."

"You never called."

"It’s just rain."

"You owe me."

"She’s not breathing."

"Is that blood?"

"You were right."

"It ends now."

"We start over."

"Stay with me."

"Nothing feels real."

"I hate this."

"Do it now."

"They're watching us."

"Make it stop."

"It's not yours."

"I was waiting."

"He’s behind you."

"They’re all gone."

"Time is up."

"Bring them back."

"It’s our turn."

"This is wrong."

"Don’t let go."

"We are cursed."

"No one knows."

"You're not real."

"Don’t say it."

"I saw everything."

"Nothing ever changes."

"Call it off."

"What are you?"

"I found it."

"Let me in."

[samcrosprince]

jackson has to refrain from rolling his eyes because he does want something from yekaterina and thinks it would be wise to be on his best behavior or he won’t get it, but at the same time he just doesn’t understand why she’s holding that whole situation against him when it’s something out of his control. after all, he wasn’t the one to strike the deal. clay was. he can’t write off her father’s debt. you borrow money from the club, you gotta pay it back — it’s a simple enough rule. “no one is bothering you, i hope?” he points out, more of a statement than a question, as if to say that it’s not her debt to pay. her father isn’t a child. if he’s man enough to borrow money from clay, he’s man enough to pay it back.

“i see,” he sighs, lowering his head and focusing on his white sneakers. pouting. he knows that he’s not a bad looking man, knows how to manipulate people, use his charm to get what he wants. part of him thinks she’s denying him just because he won’t do anything about her father’s situation, but then she speaks up again and his eyes light up. “no, i don’t think so.” maybe they did. he wouldn’t know. if they sent any links, they surely sent them to his mom. she’s the one always sitting in the waiting room or watching over the kid’s toaster like a hawk. his approach is more juvenile. he almost doesn’t want to spend time with abel, afraid he may get attached only for the kid to die. “do you have access to those cameras? my phone died on the way here.”

[kctysha]

blue eyes rolled at jackson's statement about people bothering her . ❛ just debt collectors , the water company , the electric company , the landlord . . . none of your friends . ❜ what did she even want from him ? yekaterina wasn't sure , truly . she'd done the math and unless her father had lied about just how much he had borrowed from the club they had paid the original debt . . . it was the interest that clay insisted on that was stretching her thin .

she knew that it was her father's problem . alexander bakov was sick , and she couldn't abandon him . whenever she thought about leaving him to whatever fate awaited those who didn't pay up she'd grow ill . he wasn't a good man , but he was her father . . . what else did she have ?

❛ come on . ❜ she gestured towards her car with a nod of her head as she began to move towards it . she unlocked the doors and slipped inside , jimmying the key to get the engine to start . she plugged in her phone and in a few moments passed it to jackson . abel was on screen , his small chest rising and falling in sleep . another few minutes passed before she said , ❛ he deserves a dad , you know . ❜ even if he wasn't here for long .

[samcrosprince]

jackson  thinks  about  the  other’s  words  for  a  few  moments,  struggling  to  keep  a  more  neutral  expression  instead  of  taking  offense  and  frowning  like  a  child.   he  is  a  selfish  man.   it’s  in  his  nature  to  take  and  never  ask  or  worry  what  someone  else  has  had  to  sacrifice  for  his  own  desires  to  be  quenched.   perhaps  it’s  genetic.   it’s  in  his  blood  to  want  more  and  more,  and  refuse  to  take  responsibility  for  his  or  the  club’s  actions.   his  own  father  would  rather  drive  his  harley  into  a  semi  than  deal  with  the  consequences.   “hey,  it’s  not  my  fault  your  old  man  borrowed  a  couple  thousand  bucks  from  clay  and  now  can’t  pay  it  back.   that’s  between  the  two  of  them.”   it  irks  him  than  now,  due  to  her  father’s  incompetence  and  recklessness,  he  looks  like  the  bad  guy.   alright,  he  can  be  a  bit  of  a  jerk  sometimes  but  he  doesn’t  extort  money  from  women.   he’s  actually  approached  her  because  he  has  a  different  favor  to  ask.   “i’ve  been  wonderin’  if  you  have  a  badge?   you  know,  the  kind  that  can  open  NICU  doors  and  shit?   or  do  only  doctors  have  those?”   he  still  hasn’t  spent  more  than  a  few  minutes  with  his  son,  afraid  of  getting  attached  only  to  lose  him.   “visitin’  hours  are  over  now  and  i  thought…   maybe  you  could  help  me  sneak  in  for  a  moment?”

[kctysha]

❛ if that helps you sleep at night . ❜ yekaterina grumbled . a hundred insults sat at the tip of her tongue , most of them intended for her father but she was ready to unleash them all at jax before he continued . she eyed her car beneath a streetlight that flickered every couple of seconds in the parking lot . the lights blinked as she pressed one of the buttons on the fob wrapped tightly in her fist .

❛ my badge doesn't let me in there , just the staff room . ❜ she admitted . yekaterina was angry and hurt and disgusted but she was far from unfeeling . she wasn't lying to hurt him , but she couldn't get those doors open for him . her gaze softened as she looked at him . ❛ did they send you the link to those cameras ? ❜ the hospital had just purchased cameras for the exact position jax found himself in . each camera was pointed towards one of the cribs , and yekaterina had seen the nurses writing notes to leave in view of the camera for nervous parents .

[kctysha]

( @samcrosprince ! )ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❛ careful not to work yourself to death there . . . ❜

yekaterina was looking down when she heard his voice , fingers fumbling through her bag in the darkness for her car keys . her fingers brushed the metal of the key when his voice reached her ears and she startled . her fingers wrapped around the keys as she spun to face him , blue eyes blown wide . there was another breath before her shoulders relaxed and she could hear his words over the frantic thump of her heart .

it took one more moment before her brows furrowed , forehead creased and lip pouted in anger . ❛ one of us needs to . ❜ she huffed . god knows her father wouldn't , and then these men would probably beat him to a bloody mess if not worse . and each paycheck yekaterina gave them was another month to wait before she could start applying to medical school . ❛ i'm trying to get home . . . or are you here to take the car , too ? ❜ her words dripped with the anger and hurt that had coiled in her belly since the last time she saw him .

[glittrdgcld]

Okay!! Sorry, life has been hard! I finished my surgery rotation yesterday so I actually have time off!! Yay!! I’m making this as a starter call if anyone wants? I’m excited to start writing both of my girls again and maybe adding some more??

[feywild-west]

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓  𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑  𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍  𝐇𝐀𝐒  𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃  //  from  rdr2   .  (  request  )  an  assortment  of  dialogue  prompts  from  lines  said  in  silly  fashion  by  arthur  morgan  (  the  silliest  outlaw  in  the  states  )  in  rockstar's  red  dead  redemption  2   .  a  mixture  dialogues  ,  missions  and  cutscenes   . 

 "   that's  some  strong  stuff …  doesn't  seem  to  be  doing  you  any  harm  though  .   "   

"  you're  my  favorite  parasite  ...  no,  wait,  ringworm's  my  favorite  parasite,  you're  my  second-favorite  parasite  ...  i  lied  .  ringworm,  then,  rats  with  the  plague,  then  you  .  "

"  you  want  rescuing  again ,  do  you  ?   "

"  we'll  survive …  always  have …  if  needs  be;  we  can  eat  you  .  "

"  eighteen  percent  ?   i  thought  we  was  doing  the  robbing  here  .  "

"  maybe  we  should  cut  you  open  and  count  the  rings  of  whiskey  .  "

"  we  each  made  15  dollars ,  oh,  and  a  quarter  !  don't  forget  the  quarter  !  "

"  should  i  just  ...  sneak  on  now  ?   "

"  just  keep  running  into  prized  idiots  like  you  .  "

"  i've  had  better  days ,  that's  for  sure  .  but  i  look  at  you  and  i  know  things  can  always  be  worse  .  "

"  … whatever  you  say …  boss  .  "

"  can  i  turn  myself  in  ?   "

"  look ,  i'm  sorry ,  friend  .  i  can  barely  speak  english  .  "

"  i  do  my  utmost  to  avoid  you  .  "

"  i'll  turn  you  into  a  goddamn  cauliflower …  "

"  forgive  me  if  i  slip  and  stab  you  in  the  face  .  "

"  next  time ,  let  the  wolves  eat  all  your  brain  ...  then  you'll  be  a  genius  .  "

"   you  really  need  to  think  about  taking  a  bath  .  "

"   you ,  sir ,  are  a  fish  .  "

"   i  got  a  gift  right  here  !   "

"   …  and  you  unfortunately  survived  ?   "

"   you  call  this  land  ?   feels  like  water  to  me  .  "

"  as  long  as  we  get  paid,  or  you  get  shot,  i'm  happy  .  "

"  well …  at  least  it  isn't  your  job  .  "

"  you  are  a  compulsive  liar  .  "

"  jesus …  what  is  that  ?   "

"  careful  not  to  work  yourself  to  death  there …  "

"  you  know  …  i  thought  about  getting  into  hosiery  .  but  i  just  look  better  in  a  suit  .  "

"  remind  me  to  rob  your  trains,  mister  .  "

"  …  me  and  my  big  mouth  .  "

"  that's  an  idea  …  maybe  the  first  time  you've  ever  had  one  of  them  !   "

"  fight  this  mob …  they'd  eat  me  alive  .  "

"  no  one  would  have  me …  "

"  that  attempt  to  seem  all  enigmatic  and  interesting …  just  makes  you  look  stupid  .  "

"  must  be  tough  being  rich,  huh  .  "

"  …  i  was  being  serious  .  "

"  i'm  glad  i'm  not  your  brother …  "

"  gah …  i  broke  the  goddamn  wheel  !   "

"  oh  i'm  sorry …  was  their  insufficient  feathers  in  your  pillow  ?   "

"  … are  you  secretly  normal  ?   "

"  that'll  be  on  my  gravestone  !   "

"  is  that  perfume  you're  wearing …  or  did  a  cat  piss  on  some  kerosene  ?   "

"  you're  as  lazy  as  a  toad  and  twice  as  ugly …  " 

[glittrdgcld]

Okay!! Sorry, life has been hard! I finished my surgery rotation yesterday so I actually have time off!! Yay!! I’m making this as a starter call if anyone wants? I’m excited to start writing both of my girls again and maybe adding some more??

[feywild-west]

𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓  𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑  𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐍  𝐇𝐀𝐒  𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃  //  from  rdr2   .  (  request  )  an  assortment  of  dialogue  prompts  from  lines  said  in  silly  fashion  by  arthur  morgan  (  the  silliest  outlaw  in  the  states  )  in  rockstar's  red  dead  redemption  2   .  a  mixture  dialogues  ,  missions  and  cutscenes   . 

 "   that's  some  strong  stuff …  doesn't  seem  to  be  doing  you  any  harm  though  .   "   

"  you're  my  favorite  parasite  ...  no,  wait,  ringworm's  my  favorite  parasite,  you're  my  second-favorite  parasite  ...  i  lied  .  ringworm,  then,  rats  with  the  plague,  then  you  .  "

"  you  want  rescuing  again ,  do  you  ?   "

"  we'll  survive …  always  have …  if  needs  be;  we  can  eat  you  .  "

"  eighteen  percent  ?   i  thought  we  was  doing  the  robbing  here  .  "

"  maybe  we  should  cut  you  open  and  count  the  rings  of  whiskey  .  "

"  we  each  made  15  dollars ,  oh,  and  a  quarter  !  don't  forget  the  quarter  !  "

"  should  i  just  ...  sneak  on  now  ?   "

"  just  keep  running  into  prized  idiots  like  you  .  "

"  i've  had  better  days ,  that's  for  sure  .  but  i  look  at  you  and  i  know  things  can  always  be  worse  .  "

"  … whatever  you  say …  boss  .  "

"  can  i  turn  myself  in  ?   "

"  look ,  i'm  sorry ,  friend  .  i  can  barely  speak  english  .  "

"  i  do  my  utmost  to  avoid  you  .  "

"  i'll  turn  you  into  a  goddamn  cauliflower …  "

"  forgive  me  if  i  slip  and  stab  you  in  the  face  .  "

"  next  time ,  let  the  wolves  eat  all  your  brain  ...  then  you'll  be  a  genius  .  "

"   you  really  need  to  think  about  taking  a  bath  .  "

"   you ,  sir ,  are  a  fish  .  "

"   i  got  a  gift  right  here  !   "

"   …  and  you  unfortunately  survived  ?   "

"   you  call  this  land  ?   feels  like  water  to  me  .  "

"  as  long  as  we  get  paid,  or  you  get  shot,  i'm  happy  .  "

"  well …  at  least  it  isn't  your  job  .  "

"  you  are  a  compulsive  liar  .  "

"  jesus …  what  is  that  ?   "

"  careful  not  to  work  yourself  to  death  there …  "

"  you  know  …  i  thought  about  getting  into  hosiery  .  but  i  just  look  better  in  a  suit  .  "

"  remind  me  to  rob  your  trains,  mister  .  "

"  …  me  and  my  big  mouth  .  "

"  that's  an  idea  …  maybe  the  first  time  you've  ever  had  one  of  them  !   "

"  fight  this  mob …  they'd  eat  me  alive  .  "

"  no  one  would  have  me …  "

"  that  attempt  to  seem  all  enigmatic  and  interesting …  just  makes  you  look  stupid  .  "

"  must  be  tough  being  rich,  huh  .  "

"  …  i  was  being  serious  .  "

"  i'm  glad  i'm  not  your  brother …  "

"  gah …  i  broke  the  goddamn  wheel  !   "

"  oh  i'm  sorry …  was  their  insufficient  feathers  in  your  pillow  ?   "

"  … are  you  secretly  normal  ?   "

"  that'll  be  on  my  gravestone  !   "

"  is  that  perfume  you're  wearing …  or  did  a  cat  piss  on  some  kerosene  ?   "

"  you're  as  lazy  as  a  toad  and  twice  as  ugly …  " 

[kctysha]

( @unbindingpages ! )ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❛ sorry we burnt your friends alive . ❜

the first time that yekaterina had ever robbed someone had been when she was thirteen . her father had spent away all of their money again when they had stumbled upon a man flushed with drink . her father had urged him to drink more and more and more until he had passed out near the side of the road . her father had told her to search the man's pockets for any money to buy their dinner and when she had protested he had boxed her ear with such force that she heard a ringing sound for the next hour .

this is no different , she tried to insist to herself . this man is just . . . sleeping . of course she knew that he wasn't . his flesh was so badly charred that it was black , and where it was not black red , angry skin blistered . there were more bodies like his strewn about what remained of the camp in annesburg .

yekaterina had returned for one item : her grandfather's book . she hadn't had time to take it when she'd left and she couldn't leave annesburg without it , not when that dusty old tome had been her only constant for most of her life and the only piece of her grandfather she still had . . . but she needed money , too . just enough to purchase a train ticket , she didn't want another ill gotten cent . she had peeled back some burnt fabric of the man's vest when she heard a voice behind her and startled .

we should leave a note on his chest . . . 'sorry we burned your friends alive.' her blood ran cold when she recognized it , knowing in her bones who stood behind her before she turned to look over her shoulder . he had some new bruises on his face , and he was stiff when he moved , but micah was no less dangerous in katya's mind .

❛ you have a very odd sense of humor . ❜ she muttered , biting her tongue to keep from calling him a cruel man .

[sacredeeer]

arms  crossed  ,  sat  with  head  hung  low  .       one  too  many  nos  in  too  little  time  .  a  huff  and  pant  ,  the  exhaust  on  his  face  ,  the  growl  that  erupted  from  the  mountaineering  chest  as  he  sat  on  the  log  stump  .  pure  anguish  was  one  thing  ,  but  this  was  a  strop  ,  and  sure  as  hell  was  it  a  tantrum  ready  to  break  out  .

                                      𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒋𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏              @kctysha :     "  if  you  act  like  a  child   ,  i'll  treat  you  like  one  .  "                

   "  am  not  -----  "        defeated  and  shy  ,  but  only  because  the  realisation  was  that  this  grown  (  oversized  )  man  was  acting  worse  than  jack  when  they  took  away  his  toys  from  misbehaving  .  here  he  was  acting  a  full  grown  baby  over  simply  getting  denied  simple  pleasures  ;  such  as  a  seat  at  the  saloon  ,  and  the  lemon  sweets  from  the  rations  -----  oh  my  ,  he  was  a  child  .

"  i  don't  need  to  make  a  further  fool  of  myself  ;  but  if  you  patronize  me  i  will  start  rolling  around  in  the  mud  .  "        spoken  through  gritted  teeth  and  clenched  jaw  ,  mocking  himself  more  than  anything  .  the  lack  of  threat  there  made  it  seem  like  a  challenge  instead  .

[kctysha]

yekaterina had emerged from the the drug store only to be met with arthur pouting outside . she was about to insist that he was being childish when he said his ridiculous challenge . she laughed , raising a hand to her lips as though sparing him the sight of her grin would lessen the blow to arthur's pride .

❛ so that miss grimshaw can pull you by the ear to the nearest wash barrel again ? ❜ she teased with another chuckle . the air was thick from the downpour earlier that morning and the dirt road outside of the shops was still slick and muddy . ❛ should the desire of a mud bath find you there is plenty of opportunity today . ❜ clouds were returning on the horizon .

❛ do you think that the camp will flood ? ❜ she couldn't hide the worry in her voice at the thought that had slipped into her mind . she hated being camped so close to the water . she'd had a nightmare a few nights back that she hadn't yet shaken of the lannaheche swelling its banks and sweeping her away . ❛ are there alligators in that water ? surely there are . . . or some other river monster . ❜ here she was teasing arthur for his childishness when she was perhaps acting a bit childish herself .

❛ oh , and i have something for you , mister morgan . . . ❜ eager to distract herself from her spiraling thoughts yekaterina opened the bag at her side . she dug around for a moment , trying to find it between the bottles of medicine and there ! she pulled out a small bag of hard candies . with a slight flush to her cheeks she opened the bag and passed him a candy .

❛ that man was horrible , ❜ she didn't need to explain her minor theft to an outlaw , but she couldn't help herself when her guilty conscious insisted that she did . ❛ i'd have taken that fancy pocket watch he kept on the counter if it wasn't in a glass case . . . ❜ she grumbled and dug for her own piece of candy , popping it in her mouth and sighing at the taste of citrus .

[deadwest]

he was silent, ready to leave her be but left the silence open for her to continue if she wanted . . . he almost didn't expect it but the weak admittance made his attention perk and he looked over at her again. he knew she'd be in a world of hurt the next day, but didn't move to get up just yet. ❛  didn't bite you, or your horse. ❜ he murmured, giving her another long look before putting the cigarette between his lips. he propped his hands on his knees to stand, walking around where he had been sitting and towards the wash bucket. surely no one would mind him snagging one of the tattered cloths from the food wagon. to which he dunked in the bucket. this time of night, the water would be cooler.

once he finished, only half wringing it out, he walked back over and offered it to her. ❛  you'll worry the rest of them if they see y'all bloody like that in the mornin'. ❜ maybe the brainless, & spineless john marston did have a heart.

[kctysha]

❛ oh . ❜ the word stumbled from her lips before she could stop it , the orange glow of the fire hiding a faint flush to her cheeks before she corrected , ❛ thank you , john . ❜ she didn't expect help , and never quite knew how to take it when it was offered . she took the wet cloth from his hand and pressed it to her lip first with a sigh of relief at the cold against her bruised skin .

❛ should i come up with a better story than getting thrown off of my horse ? ❜ she asked quietly , trying not to smile and open the wound again . ❛ maybe that . . . i started a bar fight ? ❜ she didn't drink often , and she fought even less . katya hoped at least that the thought might earn her something close to a laugh or a smile .

❛ why are you still up ? ❜ she had hoped that she could slip back into camp unnoticed and nurse her wounded pride in private , and had nearly gotten back to her cot when she'd run into john . she pulled the cloth away from her lip to clean her face . she had no mirror , so she turned towards john and asked , ❛ did i miss anything ? ❜

[sylfane]

"Goodness of the heart won't fill an empty stomach when the larder's scraped clean, so forgive me if I don't put too much stock in it, sweetheart."

Even as he rolls his eyes at her, the tough act recedes somewhat at the mention of trade, a cant of his head dispelling his dark expression into something not quite so standoffish, wolfish to something hound-adjacent, scenting a deal to be struck, stormy gaze softening to a shrewd blue flicker of mild interest as he glances her over. He could just rob her, he has the means, but that wouldn't reflect so charmingly on himself.

He straightens in his saddle, sat astride some pretty silver-and-black-flecked mare, and his men behind him abate from their previous bristling posture, sharing interested looks with one another as the offer ripples through the group in hushed whispers. "We haven't got much need for daisies and pretty rocks, darlin', so if you're talkin' trade, you better have something actually valuable, or you just might as well turn around here and now." Atlas sighs, crossing his wrists on his saddle pommel, looking at her expectantly.

[kctysha]

yekaterina eyed the man , shifting in her saddle beneath his gaze . the tension in his men seemed to have faded but her own body remained stiff and alert . her mare huffed beneath her and she reached forward to scratch the animal's neck to calm her . she wasn't the most skilled rider and rubka was not the fastest , but perhaps if things went sour she could put enough distance between them ?

❛ i don't care for daisies or pretty rocks , either . ❜ her eyes glanced to the men behind him once more , gaze moving quickly from each man to the next before they settled on their leader once more . ❛ you are hungry , then ? you all look it . i can hunt . ❜ the rabbits here seemed stupid enough to nearly throw themselves underfoot at times during her ride . it should not be difficult to bring at least one down .

❛ i know there was a doctor's office here . ❜ she gestured with her chin towards the direction of valentine . yekaterina reached into her bag and produced a slip of paper , the writing on it messy and she hoped it was legible as she passed the short list of medications towards atlas . ❛ i need these . i can bring you a rabbit for each . ❜

[kctysha]

ooc . reading medical literature from the 1890s-1920s is wild y'all .

[unbindingpages]

“don’t worry, it won’t take long anyway! There’s uh..a shop for- for uh- fabrics? Dresses..damn if I know but I saw women dresses in the shop’s window! Would you like to see that? Might even have lunch there too, I heard the fish food they serve tastes amazing.. besides, it’s not too far, a little bit walking and we’ll be there less than an hour!” Van Horn isn’t that big but it can do for a date place, sides, it got a room for renting and bath house which in Micah’s book it goes under ‘perfect’ title.

“though if you like nature more.. you can wrap us a nice picnic basket and we’ll mount Baylock, riding to that nice waterfall and look, it’s not that far, too! You’ll like it, ‘m sure” lips stretching in a wide grin, heart beating in his ears. Would she take the offer or reacting like any other girls in camp, ignoring him as if he's some kind of rabid dog biting anyone who gets too close.

[kctysha]

there was still clear suspicion in her eyes as she looked at micah , blue eyes flicking between his grin and the small bunch of people who had not slipped off in the night as if weighing her options . they needed more food , it was as simple as that . . . so yekaterina nodded and reached behind her back to undo the knot of the apron pearson had left .

❛ we can go to van horn , i need more meat for the pot . ❜ she spoke quietly , folding the apron and placing it in one of the small shelves built into the table . ❛ could we ride to van horn ? ❜ she didn't enjoy the thought of being on her feet if they ran into people who were unfriendly , regardless of who her company was . ❛ let me get some things from my tent and i'll meet you by baylock ? ❜

yekaterina retrieved her bag , pulling the old thing over her shoulder , and joined micah once more . ❛ dresses ? ❜ she asked , looking down at her own brown dress . there was something . . . endearing , perhaps , about how micah was trying . ❛ we could look at them , if you want . . . but i do like this one . ❜ it had served her well , she'd traveled across most of the country with it , after all . ❛ back home , my dedya and babya would bring from the market fish that was cold smoked . . . it was delicious , and i haven't been able to find it outside of the district of alaska yet . ❜ she smiled towards micah . ❛ maybe they'll have some in van horn ? ❜