JOEL MILLER // THE LAST OF US

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

General Sentences, Vol. 24

(Assorted original sentences. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"See? That wasn't so difficult!"

"Go to your room!"

"What will you be wearing tonight?"

"It's been a long time. Too long."

"Did someone put you up to this?"

"How am I going to do this without you?"

"Is your job always like this?"

"I hope I made you proud."

"I told you we'd meet again."

"You've been hiding from me, haven't you?"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Don't even think about telling me to calm down!"

"I have said I'm sorry!"

"Do you have a family?"

"Do I have to join in?"

"That must have cost a fortune!"

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"You can't run forever."

"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it."

"When I want your advice, I'll ask for it!"

"Which side of the bed would you prefer?"

"Please don't touch that!"

"Why do you have to control everything?"

"You can't stay away from me, can you?"

"Why don't you come back to my place for a cup of tea?"

"Wouldn't you like to play with the other children?"

"Innocent men don't resist arrest."

"We have nothing to say to each other!"

"I'm right, of course. I always am."

"This time you've really disappointed me."

"Are you sick or something?"

"Would you like some breakfast?"

"Put that away before you break something!"

"I hope you like spicy food!"

"I don't know what I would do without you."

"That cat's out of the bag now."

"Do you just make these things up?"

"You're a very suspicious person."

"I'm feeling a little attacked right now."

"I suppose you have good reason for making me look like a liar?"

"I want tonight to be one of those moments that will stay with you for a long time."

vira'ter tag drop.

joel tag drop.

timelines, my soul is yours

hey this is your captain speaking. can everyone hold on real tight for a sec. i want to try something

QUASTARI // indie private multifandom multimuse

featuring BARRETT TORBON ; a fandomless bear-shifter original character

     arthur's never . . . well, talking to women has never been a strong point of his. nor speaking in general, apart from little jabs that only serve to raise hackles & start brawls. a STRANGE shortcoming from a man raised by dutch van der linde & hosea matthews - two men whom arthur swears are hiding silver tongues behind smirking lips.

     his head lowers as hope moves past him, now addressing her pretty little mare in an echoed tease of his own words. a snort comes from him, head wobbling in DISBELIEF, before turning to follow her to where their horses are hitched.

     ❝ if we keep good time, should be there in just a couple weeks, ❞ arthur says as he starts rummaging through a saddlebag. ❝ ridin' all day, stayin' in small towns where no bounty hunters might not think to look. might even have to ROUGH it some nights. ❞

     a lantern is pulled from the leather pouch, which arthur flicks on to push away the nighttime blackness. the firelight, kept low & soft, dances across arthur's face to show his DEEP scowl. brows pulled tight together above a sharp, scrutinizing blue gaze. jaw clenched beneath a thick cover of facial hair that arthur didn't bother to clean up before taking this job.

                      ❝ that okay with you, princess ? ❞

her  approach  is  slow  ,  reluctant  -  but  not  for  the  reasons  he  may  think  .  what  arthur  perceives  as  the  expectant  steps  of  an  eager  bride  might  as  well  be  a  death  march  to  miss  baxter  -  &  yet  ,  she  still  does  her  best  to  offer  him  a  friendly  smile  at  the  conclusion  of  her  approach  .  this  is  usually  what  is  expected  of  her  ,  of  course  ,  to  be  nothing  but  docile  &  demure  .  a  mask  she's  grown  comfortable  hiding  behind  ,  one  that  she  𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔  will  make  a  good  first  impression  .  they  will  be  traveling  together  for  a  long  while  ,  after  all  -  she  would  like  to  set  a  positive  tone  for  the  journey  ahead  .

those  desires  are  quickly  dashed  .  her  lips  &  heart  both  drop  as  he  takes  that  warning  step  forward  ,  sky  blue  eyes  widening  &  chin  lifting  while  attempting  to  approximate  where  to  meet  his  gaze  draped  in  shadow  .  despite  his  𝑰𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑰𝑫𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑮  frame  &  no-nonsense  attitude  ,  she  does  not  wilt  in  response  ,  choosing  to  hold  her  ground  in  spite  of  the  way  her  heart  picks  up  its  tempo  as  his  words  sink  in  .

she  knows  all  of  this  already  ,  her  father  may  not  have  afforded  her  all  of  the  details  -  but  she  has  been  informed  of  the  𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕  things  .  he  had  been  reluctant  to  send  her  off  with  someone  with  mr  .  morgan's  infamous  reputation  ,  but  they  had  been  left  with  little  choice  &  no  time  to  be  all  that  picky  about  it  .  anyway  ,  a  ruthless  protector  is  exactly  what  she  needs  in  the  face  of  those  who  wish  to  harm  her  .

arthur  doesn't  surprise  hope  at  all  in  his  initial  assessment  of  who  she  might  be  ,  it's  what  she's  used  to  &  she  makes  no  attempt  to  argue  -  𝑯𝑶𝑾𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹  ,  there  is  a  small  displeased  furrow  to  her  dark  brows  before  she  responds  .

❝  he  told  me  enough  ,  ❞  her  voice  is  light  &  distant  ,  switching  up  tactics  placing  a  wall  of  aloofness  between  them  .  to  his  conditions  ,  she  gives  a  small  dutiful  nod  ,  features  𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈  with  a  curt  ,  ❝  fine  .  ❞  she  moves  past  his  imposing  form  ,  choosing  to  focus  on  unhitching  her  horse's  reins  &  offering  some  gentle  affection  to  the  animal  before  they  take  off  .  as  if  addressing  her  trusted  mare  rather  than  arthur  ,  she  continues  with  a  new  &  lightly  indignant  edge  to  her  tone  ❝  -  we'll  be  sure  to  keep  the  frolicking  to  a  minimum  ,  won't  we  girl  ?  ❞

                         arthur spots her instantly.

     he doesn't move to intercept her. not yet. with an indigo sky bleeding into a WANING deep orange & gold lights that twinkle around & around, arthur takes just a moment to watch hope. he so rarely gets to see her - only a handful of days out of the year. even then, it's maybe just a couple hours where she isn't running around or laughing or cheering. seeing hope stroll casually about, with nothing to do but wait for him, was a nice change of pace.

     but soon, as always, arthur finds himself moving to be in her vicinity. pushing off the metal barrier & stalking through the crowd towards her. making sure her back stays facing him. arthur can't help himself - a smile tugs on his lips. anticipation of seeing her up close, mixed with a TWISTED amusement, nearly gives him away because he almost wants to laugh.

     she stops. he stops. her head turns slightly to the left & then the right - looking for him, arthur realizes. it makes him take two long strides closer to her, coming within arms reach of hope. by now, he's grinning. bounces on his toes once. LEANS closer to her. from anyone else's point of view, arthur might seem like some sort of creep.

     the fun is quickly overridden by his desire. he takes another step closer, right behind her shoulder. leans in close to her ear. the sweet smell of her threatens to strangle him but arthur doesn't need to speak so loudly where he stands so he's CONTENT to let it.

     ❝ lookin' for someone ? ❞

𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 ( accepting ! )

@quastari said : meet me at our spot tonight . ( from modern arthur )

❝  i'll  be  right  there  ,  mama  -  just  gotta  𝑪𝑯𝑬𝑪𝑲  on  somethin'  real  fast  .  .  .  ❞

prepping  for  the  annual  brightside  county  fair  is  quite  an  event  in  the  baxter  household  ,  akin  to  holidays  like  christmas  or  thanksgiving  .  everyone  wakes  up  early  ,  everyone  pitches  in  .  even  little  sister  faith  ,  who  is  begrudgingly  back  home  from  college  for  the  summer  ,  is  involved  -  albeit  her  help  is  accompanied  with  several  complaints  &  an  above-it-all  roll  of  her  eyes  .  hope's  father  is  packing  up  the  stand  they  use  every  year  ,  loading  its  aged  &  well-loved  wooden  components  into  the  back  of  the  family's  red  pickup  truck  for  the  short  journey  to  their  small  town's  fairgrounds  .  ardella  is  transporting  boxes  upon  boxes  of  sweet  treats  ,  breads  ,  preserves  ,  wildflower  honey  ,  fresh  produce  ,  chicken  eggs  ,  flowers  from  the  garden  .  .  .  a  𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍  spread  of  the  rich  bounties  their  farm  has  to  offer  ,  lovingly  cultivated  to  be  shared  with  their  community  .  this  tradition  is  one  of  hope's  very  favorite  times  of  year  ,  a  time  of  togetherness  &  nostalgia  under  the  hot  tennessee  sun  .

so  much  has  changed  over  the  past  few  years  .  she  has  finally  opened  up  her  own  bakery  ,  in  brooklyn  no  less  .  a  few  years  ago  she  wouldn't  have  even  thought  it  possible  .  she'd  been  burnt  out  ,  drowning  between  waitressing  gigs  ,  her  shitty  ex  boyfriend  ,  &  culinary  school  .  but  every  obstacle  has  been  𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬  ,  now  hope  &  christina  are  left  to  reap  the  profits  from  what  they  have  laboriously  sowed  .  at  last  ,  hope  baxter  has  found  some  breathing  room  ,  &  her  chosen  reward  for  all  of  that  hard  work  is  a  trip  back  home  just  in  time  to  soak  up  the  southern  farming  town  charm  she's  been  missing  in  the  big  city  .  things  are  simpler  here  ,  quieter  .  it's  nice  to  know  that  even  when  everything  else  in  her  life  is  nothing  like  what  it  used  to  be  .  .  .

.  .  .  there  are  𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆  things  that  never  change  .

hope  slips  away  from  the  kitchen  ,  just  for  a  moment  -  as  promised  .  she  has  been  keeping  an  eye  on  her  phone  all  day  for  this  very  reason  .  &  finally  seeing  arthur's  name  pop  up  on  the  screen  fills  her  with  𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑴𝑻𝑯  .  like  any  other  part  of  these  yearly  festivities  ,  she  can  always  count  on  their  little  rendezvous  ,  &  he's  never  once  let  her  down  .  unlike  so  many  others  .  .  .

[  text  :  arthur  🐴❤️  ]  i'll  be  there  ;  )

she  replies  quickly  with  a  giddy  grin  ,  stuffing  the  phone  into  her  back  pocket  &  getting  right  back  to  business  .  it's  clear  to  the  whole  family  as  she  strides  across  the  front  lawn  with  more  crates  in  her  arms  ,  that  something  has  𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅  a  newfound  skip  in  her  step  ,  although  none  of  them  knows  why  .  a  girl  has  to  have  her  secrets  ,  after  all  .

before  she  knows  it  ,  the  sun  is  setting  on  the  first  of  the  three  days  during  which  the  fair  is  held  .  everything  goes  as  successfully  as  ever  .  in  high  demand  ,  the  baxter's  goods  sell  out  in  record  time  .  thankfully  there  is  always  plenty  more  .  ardella  is  a  smart  woman  &  well-seasoned  at  this  by  now  .  they  have  the  routine  all  down  to  a  𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬  , &  with  damien  taking  charge  to  keep  everything  on  track  ,  things  couldn't  go  smoother  .  the  height  of  their  sales  typically  peak  on  the  very  first  day  ,  so hope  is  given  the  go  ahead  to  drift  off  &  explore  on  her  own  .  the  remaining  two  days  are  hers  to  do  as  she  pleases  .

she  makes  a  beeline  toward  the  carousel  -  their spot - only  pausing  briefly  to  make  sure  she  looks  presentable  in  one  of  the  funhouse  mirrors  along  the  way  .  sunshine  yellow  blouse  ,  blue  jean  shorts  ,  &  her  dark  curls  pulled  up  high  into  a  ponytail tied with a ribbon .  .  .  all  slightly  𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅  to  make  her  look  all  stretched  out  ,  but  it  gives  her  a  good  enough  idea  .  quietly  she  wishes  she'd  worn  something  a  bit  more  adventurous  ,  maybe  that  sundress  she'd  packed  specifically  to  drive  him  crazy  .

she'll  just  have  to  save  𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻  for  when  she's  cheering  him  on  at  the  rodeo  tomorrow  .

pleased  with  her  appearance  ,  hope  makes  her  way  over  to  the  ride  -  the  spinning  lights  reflecting  like  𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕  in  her  eyes  as she approaches .  the  sky  is just  beginning  to  darken  ,  still  streaked  with  the  shades  of  sunset  blue  ,  pink  ,  &  orange  .  it's  only  a  matter  of  time  now  ,  but  she  tries  not  to  look  around  too  much  .  she  doesn't  want  to  seem  overly  excited  ,  even  if  her  heart  is  already  fluttering  in  her  chest  with  anticipation  .