Fandom my heroes have always been cowboys [RDR II - OPEN & ACCEPTING]

[Lua]

"You have got to keep the faith."


Everybody's gone, either dead or close too it. With the law at their heels, Dutch Van Der Linde (along with Micah Bell) headed for the hills in the opposite direction of Tahiti - once again seeking another place untainted by the modernization of the west and the unfairness that comes along with it. Along the way, with some smooth talking and promises, a few new troublemakers decided to join the cause. What are you willing to do for your new family?
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Rules:
- Please be kind to one another.
- OOC after a post in parenthesis ((like so)) and otherwise posted in the OOC thread. If lots of people like the idea, we can move to discord for OOC.
- Quality posts of 2-3 paragraphs.
- No Mary Sue or Gary Stu type characters. No time for that in the wild west!
- No god modding.
- Please be active, or let the group know when you are not going to be. If you're no longer interested in the story, kindly let us know!
- Some minor romance is okay.!
- If you're not sure of something - ask!
- All characters must be approved by me before posting in main thread.

 

[Lua]

Birdie​

Location:Camp
Mood: Tired
Interactions: n/a
With:n/a
Tags:n/a

((you can scroll these boxes)).​

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It was time to move again. Today was going to be the day. She knew it as soon as her eyes opened, a cold breeze sneaking into the tent and tormenting her out of sleep. This woods setup had only been temporary. It seemed like a lot of things were temporary now, but where else was there to go? It wasn't like she had a home to return to, to begin with. The location they were currently in was nestled in a clearing outside of a nearby town, just far enough back into the woods where nobody could stumble upon and questions anyone's motives. Though, Birdie wasn't clear on anybodies motives yet - much less her own. And with what she had learned about Dutch Van Der Linde over the past couple months - as little as he would allow her to know - there was always a bigger, better place, to go to. The old mining town wouldn't cut it for that much longer. The woman began to wonder if her intuition was correct, or her morning grumpiness was going to get the better of her with negative thoughts.

With the heaviness of her slumber still upon her, she sat up, then stood up - taking her blanket with her and wrapping it around her shoulders. It was a bitter morning indeed. She pushed away the tarp and looked out into the clearing, letting out a small sigh of relief as she realized she was the first to awake. Pulling her shield more closely around her (though modesty seemed to have been thrown out the window recently, there wasn't much of it out in the woods), she made her way to the center of the clearing; where a roaring fire the night before had dwindled down to embers. Curious if it would start again, she reached down for a couple of dry sticks from the pile next to it and threw them in. Then she backed up to sit on one of the logs that had been placed around the fire - watching a tiny flame catch onto the new dry wood.

She had dreamed about her brother during the night. It was reoccurring, some details different, but he was always there. It bad been years since she thought of him as frequently. Birdie only hoped that her dreams weren't an omen that he was no longer on this earth. But, would him leaving a world that only gave him trouble from the start? She never got to say goodbye to him, and if the dreams kept up - maybe she never would. There was a time when she would look for his face in strangers on the street with similar read hair, times she started up conversations with men she could have swore were him. In the small radius she had been forced into prior to her life on the road, it seemed her brother was not in it. Eventually, she stopped looking - he could have walked past her a dozen times and she wouldn't have noticed. Besides, there was no sense in looking for someone who was probably dead. Or maybe he was off living the high life, haven forgotten about a sister who had had only known for a fraction of the years he lived. Maybe he hated her for having not tried hard enough to bring them back together, or maybe he hadn't let it bother him. Maybe he had a family and money and lived in St. Denis in one of those fancy brick houses. Or maybe he was actually dead.

Birdie sat, watching the fire, not knowing what the day held in store. But so far she appreciated the quietness of the morning; tiny cackles of the flame sounding almost soothing - birds occasionally calling back and forth to one another. If she could sit all day listening to the sounds of nature, she would. That wouldn't be the case, soon the others would rise. She wondered if today would be the day where she kept her calm and didn't lose her patience with anyone. Though - she wondered the same thing every morning and with out fail she was wrong.

codedbycrucialstar​

 

[Qwarkl]

Nayaht
Van Der Linde Camp
Interaction: Lua

Nayaht's eyes slowly adjusted to the slivers of light that shone through the slits in his tent. The rays caught the tiny dust particles that floated about and drew Nayaht's attention as he studied them. After several minutes of this contemplation an gust of wind snapped the canvas tent and drew Nayaht back to the present. He rose from his cot and grabbed a vest and shirt that hung from a nail in one of the tents support sticks. He quickly dressed and stepped through the flap and into the camp of the Van Der Linde gang.

The Wapiti man made for the hitching post where he had left his horse for the night. He and the horse silently acknowledged each others presence as Nayaht reached the mare. She was white of coat with black spots. Horse enthusiasts would have labelled her a leopard Appaloosa, Hayant simply referred to her as Neza. He ran his hand across her neck and spoke softly in his native tongue. After seeing to Neza's food and water, Nayaht turned to take stock of the campsite.

Only one other person appeared to be awake. A woman sat on a log occasionally nursing the fire. Nayaht approached the fire and recognized that it was Birdie who had revived the flame. "Good morning, Ms. Birdie", Nayaht greeted the woman as he knelt before the fire. Waiting for her response, Hayaht filled the camp's percolator with water and coffee grounds.

 

[Lua]

Birdie​

Location:Camp
Mood: Tired
Interacting with: Nayaht
Tags: Qwarkl

((you can scroll these boxes)).​

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Birdie titled her head to look up at the gentleman, the realization coming to her that she was not alone and that the others would probably be rising soon. What the day held for them, she had no idea. "Mornin." she mumbled softly, watching him. She reached to throw more sticks on the fire, which flame had grown to about half the size it had been the following night. "It's a little chilly out." She made an attempt to pull the blanket around her tighter once more, wondering if she should pop back into her tent to get dressed.

She tolerated the man before her. Something about the natives and their demeanor was calming to her, even if she was encouraged to fear them and that their ways were 'ungodly.' In her experience, people often feared the things they didn't understand. From what she remembered from her mother, the woman had been mistreated and disrespected as an immigrant of the new world - unable to be taken seriously because she spoke the same language in a different accent, regardless of education - which she had plenty of. Even with her mental state not being the best, she always had taught Birdie and her brother that respect was one of the most important things you could offer a person, no matter your own feelings. Birdie had kept that with her, regardless of how her relationship with her mother ended. People had to do what was necessary sometimes to survive; with her current state, Beatrice started to understand her mother's reasoning behind giving up her children if only a little.

She leaned forward, watching as the man across from her started to make coffee - wondering if perhaps he knew something that she didn't about the groups next move. What reason would Dutch have to share any of that information with her? She released one of her hands from underneath the blanket to move some of her hair from her face.

"Let me ask you." She began, trying not to sound like she was feeding for information - trying to take some of the sternness out of her voice. "Are there any big plans queued up for today?" She smiled slightly.

codedbycrucialstar​

 

[FireMaiden]

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Location: The Van Der Linde camp
Interaction: Lua (Birdie) Qwarkl (Nayaht)
Mention: Safety Hammer (Dutch)
Mood: Tired and Cold
A think blanket pulled close was still nothing. It did little to shield what cool air managed to slip through the tent flap. The early morning rays of sun filtered through the canvas, hitting the mop of unbrushed chocolate hair sticking out from underneath what should really be a sheet. Maybe this was the blanket reserved for the newest members, Serena no exception. Slowly, the chill broke through enough that, despite her best efforts, forced Serena out of her "bed". The small tent and uncomfortable cot was a very big difference from the cushy room she was used to borrowing. The woman raised her arms above her head, stretching to help wake herself up. A soft groan escaping her lips as she finally stood up. A shiver ran over her body as she shed her pajamas, reaching for the hairbrush sitting on the small table. As she brushed her hair, Serena focused on the voices outside of her tent. She hadn't been there long enough nor knew anyone well enough to tell who was up. Dutch may be the only voice she would recognize immediately.

After a few minutes, Serena put her hairbrush down and began to get dressed. A black cotton button-up shirt (which she left the top four buttons undone; she was used to the freeing feeling it gave), and long red skirt. Her stockings and shoes were on last, Serena folding up the sleeves of her shirt to her elbows before grabbing a dirty white shawl. Her gaze drifted to a cracked mirror stirring in the corner, a heavy sigh leaving her. She thought this life would be better than what she had before, but if she was honest, there wasn't much of a difference. The other girls told her to go, to make something of herself that didn't require selling her body, they encouraged it. A picture sat against the mirror. Two actually, a small girl being cradled by a teen. And then a group shot of all the girls standing together, the madame standing in front. Serena missed them. That life not as much but maybe having four walls around her at night.

She finally stepped out of her tent, wincing slightly as the sun shone in her eyes uncomfortably. The smell of the fresh forest, the relative silence, it was soothing. She stood there in the entrance of her tent for a moment, before she glided over to the other two who were awake. "From the little I have seen of Dutch, I would say there is most likely something planned." Her accent was soft, but definitely there. Serena took a seat, leading a little closer to the fire than she would any later in the day. "Good morning Ms.Birdie, Mr.Nayaht."

 

[Superwholock]

Lana Nilson/Location: Van Der Linde Camp/Tagged: Birdie Lua , Nayaht Qwarkl , Serena FireMaiden
Lana awoke to the bitter cold of the morning and the smell of a fresh fire on the breeze. She burrowed deeper into her blanket, allowing the chilly air on her face to slowly wake her up. She could hear low voices most likely coming from the fire and tried to determine who was awake. She didn't hear Dutch; his voice was easily recognizable and she honestly wasn't certain that man knew the meaning of a quiet voice. One of them was definitely male, which narrowed down the list rather significantly although did not illuminate who she was hearing. Feeling more awake, she figured that the only way she was going to figure out who was awake was by getting up herself. With a groan of reluctance, she rolled off of her cot with her blanket still around her shoulders. Just because she was up and awake did not mean that she would be cold.
She glanced around her small tent, looking for her boots that she had thrown somewhere last night before collapsing onto her cot. She let out a 'ha!' of triumph as she found one in the far corner and the other underneath a pair of trousers. She slipped her socked feet into the boots, reveling in the extra warmth the shoes offered, before stooping to leave her tent. She straightened up, leaning back to crack her back before hastily wrapping her blanket tighter around her as cold air found its way near her lightly clothed body. All she was wearing beneath her blanket was a long shirt and a pair of light leggings, not exactly the warmest clothing but she'd been rather hot and sweaty last night when she had turned in. Her battered knuckles and the fresh bruise to her right cheek and the cut on her lip were the only evidence that remained of her activities the night before. Well, that and the blood on her brass knuckles that she would need to clean before they tarnished...and maybe a few spatters of blood on her clothes from yesterday that she would need to wash before they stained.
She headed towards the group gathered around the fire, finally able to discover who else was awake.
"Mornin'," she greeted as she claimed a seat near the fire. Her eyes lighted on the percolator and her mouth watered at the thought of coffee soon warming her body.

Virgil DeSoto/Location: Van Der Linde Camp/Tagged: Birdie, Nayaht, Serena, Lana
Virgil had made his way into town the night before under the orders of Dutch to get some more supplies. He'd ended up staying the night at the local inn rather than braving the night on his own. He was many things but a fool was not one of them; a cripple was often an easy mark for bandits and the Van Der Linde gang was not the only one in the area. As soon as the sun was up, he checked out and headed back to the camp astride Mar, his dapple grey. He knew next to nothing about horse breeds, so he had no idea what breed she was. He did know that she had amazing pools of stamina; she wasn't always the fastest, but she could keep a steady pace for days with no problem.
It took him about an hour to return to the camp, although it seemed that he was thankfully not going to be the only one awake. He nodded a greeting to the group gathered around the fire as he stopped Mar beside the hitching post and slid out of the saddle. He grunted slightly as a twinge shot through his injured leg and reached for his cane. He grabbed the sack of goods from behind his saddle and swung it over his shoulder, heading towards their supply tent

 

[ZoneyGirl]

Prudence Simmons
Location :: Van Der Linde Camp
Mood :: Tired
Interacting with :: Virgil (lana, serana, and birdie briefly mentioned)
Tag :: Superwholock

She would be lying if she didn't say she missed home. Part of her missed London, the comfort and familiarity she found there. Or that she knew the city like the back of her hand. All the secret ways in and out through the different areas. America was nothing like that. Most of it was vast and open. The large, sprawling cities were far and few between. She had only spent time in New York upon her arrival and even then it was maybe three months before she chose to travel. She missed the comfort of a proper bed, the feeling of the wind not waking her up every morning as it weaved its way through the tent flaps or a hole that had yet to be mended. She just tugged the scratchy blanket over her head and groaned.

"Bloody hell, what is it so damn cold every morning," she grumbled to herself. Staying under the warmth of the blanket for a few minutes before forcing herself to get ready for the day. Sliding on a pair of pants and a striped button up that she tucked in. A worn grey jacket was pulled over her shoulders and she finished off with pulling her boots on. She spent a couple moments getting her hair more manageable, a lazy half crown brain to keep the long red locks out of her face. With that she was ready to face the world.

A few members of the camp were up. It didn't sound like Dutch or anyone else that played a vital role in camp politics. At least she wouldn't have to deal with any of that. She needed coffee first and after that she would be more in the state of mind to hear about whatever plan was being weaved together next. Hopefully something she could play a bigger role in. Prudence was more than happy to give her skills towards a job. If they needed information from some businessman she had her ways of getting it out that didn't end with the man a bloody pulp or dead.

Stepping out of the tent, Prudence raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as they started to adjust. She scanned the fire and the group around it. Though her attention was grabbed as she heard Virgil get off his horse and moved towards the supply tent with a sack of supplies. She moved over towards him.

"Morning," she chimed. Her accent had hardly faded since she arrived, but it was barely a year since she left everything behind in London. Not that anyone in the camp knew the true reasoning for her leaving. It was hard to say how they would react to her history with her old gang. "Need a hand with that at all?"

 

[Rumble Fish]

Location: Van Der Lind Camp
Mood: Calm and slightly amused
Interactions: (Open to interaction)
Mentions: Lua (Birdie) Qwarkl (Nayaht) FireMaiden (Serena) Superwholock (Virgil/Lana) ZoneyGirl (Prudence) Safety Hammer (Dutch)

Carrie had been awake for about two hours before anyone else, so by the time others began to stir, the woman was active and busying herself. The cool air was a relief to the stifling heat of her bed covers and after her disasterous attempts to sleep the night before, Carrie was relieved that the sky was now awake and the world once again began to stir. Twigs and leaves crunched under the woman's feet as she walked back to the camp, three horses in tow. Three were already tied to their posts, waiting to be groomed and fed. Carrie had fetched them from their night pasture and, knowing about the move, she sensed that the equines would soon be needed so grooming and tacking them up was needed. But she had two more horses to retrieve before she could get her own breakfast.

After tying the horses to their posts, the woman disappeared once again, approaching the two horses left. One was Nokosi, her devoted steed who raised his head and whickered upon seeing his mistress approaching before sauntering to her, nostrils fluttering and tail lazily swatting at a fly. As he pushed his velvety muzzle into her hand, Carrie chuckled and gave the stallion a little peck between the nostrils before slipping the bridle over his ears.

"G'morning, boy." She cooed to the stallion before giving his broad shoulder a pat before turning to the last horse. The Count; Dutch's mount. "Now. Are we coming quietly today or am I going to have to come over there and get you?" a snort and flattening of the ears was her response from the albino Arabian. Carrie sighed and stood with her arms akimbo, the wind rustling her wavy hair as she stared the horse down. This was a daily ritual, she knew how much Dutch loved his horse, as much as she loved hers so riling the stallion up would most likely earn her the anger of the man, the same man who had saved her from slavery which Carrie wanted to avoid at all cost. The Count bowed up and stomped his front hooves, his ears pinned back in defiance. But the woman did not remove her gaze from his eyes, calling his bluff. The white stallion knew this. And after another moment of rearing, snorting and striking, he lowered his dainty head, ears aside and licking his lips in submission, approaching her sheepishly. With a soft chuckle, Carrie slipped his bridle on and scratched his withers; reassuring The Count that there were no hard feelings and they were still friends.

Once the woman returned to the camp and tied up the horses, she gave Nokosi a pat on the rump before approaching the supply wagon to get water and her grooming kit. On her way, she was welcomed by the smell of burning logs and fresh coffee. Turning her eyes to the fire, she blinked and as she passed each person, she would give them a polite nod. Carrie had not spoken much to her fellow gang-mates since she joined not long ago, subconsciously wary of potentially offending one of them which could give her problems and the last thing she wanted was for there to be tension. Regardless of her silence, she would still greet them in this manner every morning.

"Ms. Birdie, Mr Nayaht, Ms. de Tavares, Ms. Nilson, Mr. DeSoto." she chirped politely before approaching the wagon, spotting Prudence speaking to Virgil. "Ms. Simmons." she greeted before rummaging through the bags, looking for the brushes. While she had been with the gang for a couple of months now, it was still a bit of a culture shock. she looked again to Prudence, a slight smirk on her lips. While their interactions had been fairly limited, something about the woman intrigued her. Out of all of them, she seemed the least accustomed to life in the wild. It was interesting to say the least.

 

[Lua]

Birdie​

Location:Camp
Mood: Annoyed from all the positivity and the act of simply living.
Interacting with: Serena
Mentions: Superwholock Rumble Fish ZoneyGirl FireMaiden Safety Hammer
Qwarkl

((my girl birdie is not a mornin' person)).​

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Beatrice noticed that one by one the others were emerging, much to her dismay. If only she could be in peace in quiet in places other than her tent. She rolled her eyes - not exactly sure if she was really ready to face the day - whatever it would bring. She didn't say good morning to the others, but listened and watched them rattle about. The past couple of days the thought had crossed her, that of which what she had gotten herself into. Running around with Dutch Van Der Linde and all these women - like a pack of Gypsies. Was it even civilized to refer to them as that? Would that make her a gypsy for riding along with them?

She found herself rolling her eyes, mostly at herself. All the women she had known in her life turned out to be sour and stuck up. She hadn't even bothered to get to know these girls very well other than listening to what they had to say. She had no intention of getting close to them. When women got close to one another, it often leads to problems.

The Lana girl didn't like to be told what to do. Prudence seemed like a know it all. The horse girl Carrie was nice enough, but her bouncing around made Birdie dizzy. And Serena, who had spoken to her briefly just now - Birdie hadn't really figured her out yet but was sure there was little that she would like once she learned more.

What little I have seen of Dutch. Well, that was probably for the best. What Birdie had seen of him was her own business (none she was too proud of), but nobody had to know that. Any man that crossed the path that suddenly developed feelings for her - that was there priority, no hers. Though she would admit that under the proper circumstances and ones that don't involve drinking, she could swoon.

She looked up at Serena, lowing her eyes so she was only seeing the girl through slits. It was far too early for this optimism. Far too early. "Seeing is believing, Sweetheart." The woman grumbled. Serena reminded her of the young maids she used to work with - their bubbly attitudes and dreams of escaping servitude with a rich cousin of the family who happened to stop by for dinner. "As soon as we get over to Canada, or Naples, or somewhere the law isn't after me - I'll - we'll I'll just go ahead and wash all of your pretty little dresses for you, how does that sound?" She laughed in her own amusement, a sound more than a chuckle.

codedbycrucialstar​

 

[FireMaiden]

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Location: The Van Der Linde camp
Interaction: Lua (Birdie) Qwarkl (Nayaht) Rumble Fish (Carrie) Superwholock (Lana)
Mention:
Mood: Tired, Cold, and now a little angry
Her eyes narrowed when Birdie spoke. Serena didn't know if she was flaunting she was an outlaw or if Birdie was just trying to intimidate her. Serena rolled her eyes, her face scrunching slightly in annoyance. "Perra, puedo lavar mi propia ropa." Serena had looked away, off in the distance to Carrie. Serena liked Carrie, better than Ms.Birdie anyway. Her dark brown hues fell back upon the other woman, Serena slowly standing. She adjusted her skirt for a moment, "As much fun as it would be to watch a white woman do some real work, I wouldn't let you touch my clothes. You'd probably ruin them." Her tone held a slight bite, eyes still narrowed as she looked down at Birdie, before she stepped away pulling her skirt out of the way of the flames. "Good day Mr.Nayaht, Ms.Nilson." Serena had already had enough of Birdie, her small hope for a good breakfast already gone. She would have gone to complain with Virgil, but she would settle with Rosa and the possibly tense company of Carrie.

Rosa was her horse. A gorgeous chestnut Arabian, a horse she damn well couldn't afford. Serena might have stolen her, but the man who had her originally didn't deserve her. She looked awful when Serena first got her a year ago, but now she was the best looking horse there. At least, in that humble girl's opinion. A soft string of comforting Spanish was sung into Rosa's ear, Serena gently smoothing out the horse's mane. The horse huffed as Serena moved down to the saddlebag, her hand reaching in to pull out her brush. The coarse sound of Serena brushing Rosa's mane and coat, the horse shifting as Serena worked before she put the brush away and found Carrie.

Leaves and small twigs snapped under her boots, Serena quickly finding the other woman. "Good morning Ms.Anderson. Would you mind if I helped you out today?" Serena wanted something to do, keep her hands busy. Lately, she had been little more than bored. "Having trouble finding something?"

 

[Rumble Fish]

Location: Van Der Lind Camp
Mood: Still calm but now a little anxious
Interactions: FireMaiden (Serena)
Mentions: Lua (Birdie)

Carrie rolled her one brown and one pale eye at the interaction between Birdie and Serena. While she had interacted very little with both women, she already thought little of Birdie. She had only seen her act this way with other women and to say it annoyed the Native. Serena seemed to be a nice woman and she did not believe the snarkiness was warrented. Hearing the tanned woman return the white woman's snap earned her a slight smirk from Carrie; it was good to see she would not take it lying down. Deciding to ignore Birdie, she returned to the horses with her bag, stooping to her knees to rummage and find oats for the horses. If they were indeed going to move today, they would need the energy. Carrie had seen what a lack of good food and care did to horses; it was amazing how the same people who abused their horses were also the ones that demanded they work as well as a well-fed shire while feeding them the minimum and beating them. Having shared the same kind of people as those poor souls, that would explain her kinship with them.


The crunch of twigs and the sudden voice caused the woman to both spring up and spin around at the same time, her heart spiking but then relaxing as she saw the slightly younger woman behind her. Her frame was still crouched from tenseness as she took in what Serena was saying. Being spoken to directly was still a fairly new experience. Sure, her social skills had been fine in the past, but that was before Sikes. The woman's brows bristled a little at the thought of him before they relaxed and she stood up completely. Serena seemed nice from what she had seen, but she was still a little unsure.

"Just found what I wanted." she gave the small sack of oats a hearty slap, sending a small cloud of dust into her face from the woven sack, causing Carrie to cough a little before continuing. "I need to get them all brushed and tacked up." she paused, a little unsure of how to continue. Could she tell people what to do? It did not feel right, but the woman did ask so it was surely okay. Dutch had put her in charge of the horses, so she had the authority, right? All of this internal questioning only took a few seconds before Carrie opened her mouth once again.

"If you want to help, would you mind filling their bowls with these and giving it to them while I groom them please?" she spoke a little hesitently, "They're all fine, but you need to feed The Count first. I know you would want to feed Rosa first but he can be... testy to others. We don't want them fighting." she flashed the albino Arabian an amused smirk as he seemed to already demonstrate by snaking his neck and trying to nip Baylock in the face, who was cowing away from him with flat ears. If only Dutch would do the same to Micah. While horses are mostly gentle beasts, they did not tolerate nonsense the same way a human would and made their feelings known. If humans shared that brutal honestly and intolerance to bullshit, the world might be better than it currently is. The marble-skinned woman turned back to Serena, still holding the sack and waiting for her response. She would not be offended if she were to decline or wish to do something else but, despite their limited interaction, hoped she would. She did not like the road her thoughts were taking.

 

[Superwholock]

Lana Nilson/Location: Van Der Linde Camp/Tagged: Birdie Lua , Nayaht Qwarkl , Serena FireMaiden , Carrie Rumble Fish , Virgil
Lana rolled her eyes at the mild bickering between Birdie and Serena. Honestly, you would think that female outlaws would be above bickering like school girls. She poured herself a fresh mug of coffee, breathing in the addictive steam as she allowed the cup to warm her hands as the drink cooled. She nodded a greeting to Carrie as the other passed, offering a small smile. She rather liked the girl despite not knowing her for very long. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and wasn't prone to the bickering of Birdie or the other women. She offered the same nod to Virgil as the man passed on his way to the supplies.
Feeling her drink was sufficiently cooled, she took a long sip and hummed in appreciation as she felt the warm liquid travel down her throat and warm her from the inside. She watched the others over the rim of her cup, content to listen rather than take part in the conversation. So far, she didn't feel the need to place her input in the discussion; she wasn't in the mood to bicker and she frankly didn't care to discuss what Dutch had planned for the day when the man wasn't there to confirm or deny their speculations. It was best to just wait and hear it from the horse's mouth that way there would be less confusion.

Virgil DeSoto/Location: Van Der Linde Camp/Tagged: Carrie, Prudence ZoneyGirl
Virgil glanced up as Prudence approached and offered assistance. "Gracias, but I believe I have this. If you wish to accompany me, however, I will not say no."
He waved his cane in response to Carrie's greeting before continuing on, glancing at Prudence to see if she would follow. Like most members of the gang, despite arguably being one of the more senior members, Virgil didn't know too much about Prudence and had no intention of asking. Anyone who had half a brain in this gang knew better than to ask about anyone's past.
He shifted the sack on his shoulder as he reached the supply wagon/tent, grunting as he placed the sack down on the ground and opened it to begin removing items and placing them with the rest.

 

[ZoneyGirl]

Prudence Simmons
Location :: Van der Linde camp
Mood :: tired
Interacting with :: Virgil
Tag :: Superwholock

Prudence smiled a bit. She did have to get used to the members of the gang, at least see which ones were decent enough people. She was already getting know which ones to avoid. The second in command, Micah Bell, seemed like the kind of character that would do anything to keep his status. Throw anyone in the way to save his own ass. The man also was a class act sleaze ball that tried to approach all the woman only to be turned down. Prudence wasn't the type to hold back her words when he did it her and if it weren't for another member of the gang. She was sure it would have ended badly for herself.

She stepped behind Virgil as he started to put the supplies away. Leaning against the wagon and looking over the camp. "Folk always so cheerful in the morning, or are we just blessed with someone who doesn't know how to wake up?" Prudence asked, a slight comment towards Birdie. She didn't interact much with the woman, but she didn't seem to like Prudence since she set foot in the camp. To each their own, Prudence knew she rubbed people the wrong way.

"Question though, we always stay in camps like this?" if so she needed to invest in a few things. One of them being a horse to get around on, which meant she had to learn how to ride. She glanced over at the horses and pressed her lips together. "Never had a need to ride one of them in London. Blokes could just walk around or hop on one of the transports that went around the city. I haven't been riding since I was a young girl..." even then the horse had tossed her into a mud pile.

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Micah Bell
Location :: Van der Linde camp
Mood :: content
Interacting with :: Carrie
Tag :: Rumble Fish

Micah was content enough with the camp right now. There wasn't too much dead weight, but certain people still had to prove themselves to be an asset to the gang. Not just some pretty face that Dutch felt, oh so inclined, to join the newly reformed Van der Linde gang. At least Micah sat in a comfortable position and let that go to his head even more. He had been on watch, making his rounds around the camp to make sure nothing unexpected would stride into camp. Taking note of Virgil arriving back early in the morning with supplies. At least the cripple could prove himself useful.

"Ain't nothing like a quiet mornin' right Joe?" the man walked over to the one person on guard. Micah's own private right hand underneath Dutch's nose. The camp's enforcer to make sure people did their job. The two shared small talk for a couple minutes, mostly talking about the new faces in camp and if it was a good idea or not to have so many women around. They weren't as useful as men and one of the other men in camp was a cripple. Hardly a good group for robbing banks and making bigger marks like Micah was wanting to do.

Heading back to camp his eyes fell onto Carrie as she tended to the horse. At least most of them, but let the Count be a pain in the ass towards Baylock. Not even moving his horse away from the temperamental arbian. He scoffed and walked over to his own horse.

"You ain't gonna move Baylock away. What good are you," he hissed towards the woman and raised a hand to scratch behind one of Baylock's ears as he moved the horse away from the Count. His eyes looked over the woman with the usual disgust he shared for someone like her. "Ain't got use in keepin' you around if you ain't doin' your job. Dutch don't like dead weight."

 

[Lua]

((my post tonight is on mobile, so no fancy BBC code))

Birdie
Location: Camp
Mood: Annoyed
Mentions: FireMaiden Safety Hammer ZoneyGirl

What nerve. Birdie thought as the other female made her snarky remark; though hers had been just as snarky to begin with. At least she wasn't as bad as Micah, who as she noticed was up and ready to boss everyone around again. Kissing Ditch's ass, more like it. From the second she had bet Micah, she wasn't a fan. But she put on a smile if it meant not having to hear it from either of the men. However, if Micah was up and starting with people already, that meant she was in for a long day ahead of her. She stared him down by the horses as she stood, making her way over to her tent to finally put on clothes. It made sense to get dressed, considering she still wasn't sure what was going on or going to happen. Well, figures.
In her tent she picked out a simple blue skirt, and a white top. She had never owned anything fancy - maybe that was why she resented Serena so much for her garments. It must be nice to have money - Dutch promised that some one be coming over any day now.
With the small cracked mirror propped up on her old wooden chest, she pulled her strawberry hair back into a bun on top of her head, a few strands escaping the several hair pins she used to secure it in place. After doing so, she pinched her cheeks for color and have herself a satisfying nod. It would have to do, she told herself the same thing everyday as she put herself together.
With a swift movement, she waved her blanket in the air and laid it on her cot, leaning forward to tuck in the corners - fluffing the pillows and smoothing it out as her final touch. After that, she tidied up a bit - folding her clothes from the day prior and placing them in her trunk. Old habits from her days as a housemaid were hard to get rid of. She hadn't collected many items over the years, but it had been enough.
Birdie exited her tent again, rolling her sleeves up. Might as well keep busy in the meantime, until the next move was announced. Using both hands to hoist up her skirts and allow quicker movements, she made her way over to the sippy wagon, where she removed her apron from the nail it had been hanging on. Quickly, she tied it about her waist, grabbing a bucket and dipping it in a a barrel that had been used for collecting rainwater. She rang out a cloth in the cool liquid and began to wipe down the surfaces used for prepping and eating meals - moving aside any liqour bottles she came across.
She worked quickly tiding up - it helped take her mind off her worries. When she was done, she brushed her hands together in satisfaction.
She looked towards Dutch's tent, bigger than the others, and bit her bottom lip. Part of her wanted to waltz on over and ask what was next of him - she found herself moving in that direction - then stopped a few feet away from the closed opening. Instead, she swirled back around and went in the direction of Micah. "Be nice." She mumbled to herself as she approached. She forced a grin as she got within hearing distance.
"Why hello Mr. Bell!" She beamed, placing her hands on her hips and exclaiming like she hadn't seen him in years. "I don't suppose you and the boss man have anything special planned for today, do you?" She asked, tilting her head to one side, a new sweetness appearing in her voice. "If you give me a hint I'll see if I can scramble up the ingredients for that rum cake you liked!"

 

[FireMaiden]

​

Location: The Van Der Linde camp
Interaction: Lua (Birdie) Rumble Fish (Carrie) ZoneyGirl (Micah)
Mention: Qwarkl (Nayaht) Superwholock (Virgil) Safety Hammer (Dutch)
Mood: Tired, Cold, and still a little angry
Serena simply nodded, taking the bag from Carrie. She knew the Count always got fed first, it was something she watched every day. Serena always thought that horses reflected their owners a bit, even if they were fairly silly animals. It didn't take her long to feed everyone, going in no particular order after the Count. Rosa was very happy to be fed, Serena gently patting her nose as the stench of a rat came close. Turning her head slightly with a gaze, she was greeted by the unfortunate sight of Micah. He had been nothing but rude to her since she joined, his hatred for pretty much everyone but himself and men exactly like him was evident. She and Carrie seemed to get the worst off since they weren't white. Nayaht and Virgil had to deal with him too. And Birdie didn't seem to be cut any slack either, he was just a terrible person. The only one who did seem to get along with him was Dutch. It made sense too, they were traveling together long before she joined, just how long, Serena didn't know.

The woman let out a small huff hearing him talk to Carrie like that. Serena smoothed out her skirt again, walking back over to Carrie, and now, unfortunately, closer to Micah and Birdie. Her glaring eyes fell upon the man as she handed the feed bag back to Carrie. "Siempre puedes cuidar tu propio caballo. Hazle un favor, pinchazo perezoso." She muttered, her glare turning to Birdie. Why would this woman do anything for him? It disgusted Serena that Micah was even allowed near them, why would anyone want to do anything nice for him? Especially since every woman here seemed to disgust him. After a few moments, her eyes turned back to Carrie, her glare lessening. "Anything else?"

 

[Rumble Fish]

Location: Van Der Lind Camp
Mood: Frustrated but still content
Interactions: FireMaiden (Serena) ZoneyGirl (Micah)
Mentions:

Carrie's stoic demeanour did not falter under Micah's aura as he approached and instantly went on the attack. She was well aware of what he thought of her. Being a woman of colour with an 'anomaly', she might as well be at the bottom of the pecking order. However, all the man got in response at first was a scowl with eyes as sharp as a fox's as he took Baylock from the Count, who seemed pleased that his opposition was being removed. Despite her straight face, the woman was brewing inside with fury. Everyone else seemed so accepting of her aside from him and he had made that explicitly clear to her. She had seen how he spoke to others and she could not understand why Dutch kept him around if he was that heinous of a man. Carrie breathed in as she took a dandy brush and began to groom Nokosi, knowing she would have a chunk of her shoulder bitten out if she attempted to approach the Count.

"Hm. Perhaps Baylock just needs to," her eyes narrowed a little, "learn his place. He's been bowing up on the Count recently." she calmly fed Nokosi some oats as she spoke, watching his velvet muzzle wiggle and his whiskers tickling her palm as he munched contently. The woman stroked the stallion between the eyes, "I think it would be wiser to let the horses sort it out amoung themselves." she added before taking the brush and brushing her mount in long strokes, sending dust into the air from his dark coat. The horse chuffed and shook himself out contently as she continued down his frame. As Serena spoke up again, she turned her attention from the horse, and even further from the rat in the white hat, tilting her head a little.


"Hm," she thought for a second, "Would you mind helping me with brushing and tacking them up? I'll start on one end, you on the other. I've groomed most of them so they'll just need a quick once over. Start with Rosa and go from there, I'll go around to Brown Jack." She added before giving her stallion a pat on the rump before approaching Rosa, the mare flaring her nostrils a little as she approached, but seemed to relax as Carrie approached her shoulder, avoided her gaze and displayed benevolent signs. She gave the mare a soft stroke on the withers as she looked down her body before moving away. The mare had looked awful when Serena first brought her to the camp. She hadn't questioned where she got her as, frankly it meant very little. She made another glance to Micah with Baylock and rolled her eyes.

"I would be inclined to say," she said quiet enough for only the pair of women to hear, "That it's fitting his only other friend is a beast. But that would be a grave insult to Baylock and the rest of the animal kingdom. Beasts have morals." She added with a slight snort before turning her attention to the much more attractive Rosa, both in looks and nature. She then turned back to the woman, making a vague gesture to the mare.

"You've done great with her." she gave the Hispanic woman a slight smile through her stoic gaze as she spoke earnestly about the mare, she hadn't expected Rosa to recover but it seemed that Serena's love for the horse did wonders "You two really do suit each other." she added before grabbing Nokosi's saddle and gingerly strapping it to him. As she finished, she tied the small lamp onto the front of his breast plate, which clinked gently against the leather as he moved. She looked back to Baylock once again and sighed. He was a good horse, too bad he actually seemed to enjoy Micah's company. Aside from Dutch, he seemed to be the only being who liked having him there. Not wanting to think further about the man, the woman groaned as she picked up Brown Jack's tack and headed over to the large, brown roan horse. She knew she had to be careful around him too. Bill would have her head if she so much as made him spook.

 

[Safety Hammer]

Dutch Van Der Linde
Interraction: FireMaiden Rumble Fish Lua ZoneyGirl Superwholock Qwarkl
Mood: Tired and somber
Place: Van Der Linde Gang Camp

Dutch Van Der Linde didnt sleep very much any more. It wasn't dreams or work that kept him up anymore. Nor the blueprint ideas of scams and schemes that he had worked out to make just enough money to Tahiti. No, this was something new to the outlaw. It was a twisted combination of things, ones that ate away at the very soul of his person. Guilt and dread.

He had rolled along these great lands as an outlaw for who knows how many years, killing and robbing and causing that wonderful chaos that shook the civilized society around him to its core. The type of behavior that showed everyone that the west hadn't yet been tamed. But now, as he got older he began to feel it all just sink in. Hosea and Arthur were gone. John was gone. Mac and Shaun and Davy were gone, not to mention Lenny and Charles. Even his bitter rival, Colm O'Driscoll, had gone. They had all left him to his lonesome. And it put a deep fear in his heart. Perhaps the outlaw days were up.

Quietly, the aged man rose from his spot on his bed and moved to a small wash basin to wet his face. The water was terribly cold, and it delivered painfully bittersweet memories to his head. Ones of cold nights hiding in the Grizzlies and out in a cave near Annesburg. Nights he would much rather forget. They weren't his family anymore. These folk were.

He used his fingers to comb in his pomade and gently slipped into his vest and jacket after buttoning up his pants and shirt. He needed to look calm. Calm and collected. If weakness was shown, who knows what might happen. Perhaps another mutiny.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning to you all. Now, is someone, anyone making breakfast? Or will I have to attempt to show off my poor understanding of the culinary arts yet again?" The outlaw asked with a friendly smile as he exited his tent.

 

[ZoneyGirl]

Micah Bell
Location :: Van der Linde camp
Mood :: content irritated
Interacting with :: Carrie, Birdie, Serena, Dutch
Tag :: Rumble Fish FireMaiden Lua Safety Hammer

Micah gave a sour looked to Serana as the woman muttered, he didn't have to be a genius to know the woman was talking about him. Hell he didn't have to a genius to know how most of the camp felt about him. He didn't care either. He wasn't liked before and not being liked now wasn't heartbreaking. "Should really speak a bit proper around me," he warned Serena. "We wouldn't want no accidents after all."

It didn't leave either as he looked at Carrie and her words. "And woman like yourself should learn her place, most of your kind understand certain things when it comes to where you sit," it didn't matter if she took care of the horses or not. Micah raised his hand to scratch Baylock on the neck and up to the horses ear. Perhaps the only thing that Micah showed affection for. After all the horse had been with him through a lot and was still a loyal creature.

If only certain people took lessons from horses on loyalty.

As Birdie came up, a smile did grace his features. Though it wasn't much of one that seemed to be up to anything good. Or had any good thoughts running through his mind. It was a camp full of women. Maybe Dutch pulled a right move with that, less people expected a bunch of women to rob a bank.

"What do ol' Dutch and I have planned?" he repeated. Right now they didn't have much planned, they had to make one. They had to get a target first and with the wanted poster on Dutch's head. It was hard for him to leave camp and do the scouting himself. It left Micah to do a lot of the work. "Was plannin' to head into the city. Look for some work, bring something good back to the boss. You ladies could come in handy," he didn't hid himself leering at the women around him with a smile that matched a leech. "Men, do tell plenty of dirty secrets in the bedroom. I know I have, 'course them ladies know better than to say anything after I get done with 'em."

He glanced over at Serena and the conversation between her and Birdie. A chuckle falling from his lips. "And here I thought you ladies was best friends with each other," he shook his head.

Attention was put on Dutch as the man finally stepped out of his tent. Dressed for the day and looking ready to hit it head on. Just what they all needed. A frown did fall on his face at the mention of breakfast, or lack of in this case.

"Thought you ladies was good at keeping up with the camp work. Ain't even got breakfast done for the rest of us?"

 

[Superwholock]

Lana Nilson/Location: Van Der Linde Camp/Tagged: Birdie Lua , Nayaht Qwarkl , Serena FireMaiden , Carrie Rumble Fish , Virgil, Dutch Safety Hammer , Micah ZoneyGirl
Lana glared at Micah as she heard his comment. "Keep talking Bell. I'd be more than happy to make you eat my fist."
She rose from her place by the fire, tossing the dregs of her coffee before setting the cup aside to be washed with the rest of the dishes. She unwrapped the blanket from around her and dropped it in the place she had just vacated before moving over to join the group by the horses. Rum, her dark chestnut Selle Français, tossed his head as she approached, easily picking up on her simmering anger. The two had been together long before Lana had joined this gang and were pretty much operated on the same wavelength so to speak. As if to prove just how in sync they were, Rum swished his tail and 'accidentally' smacked Micah with it. Lana shot a final glared in Micah's direction before reaching up to stroke her horse's neck, planting a kiss on his cheek and muttering quiet praise to him in Swedish.
Eventually, she turned back to face the group. "I wouldn't mind heading into town to stretch my legs." She cracked her knuckles with a challenging look at Micah. "Virgil might have heard some stuff while he was in town yesterday. Maybe you should ask him."

Virgil DeSoto/Location: Van Der Linde Camp/Tagged: Carrie, Prudence/Micah, Dutch
Virgil chuckled at Prudence's question about their morning routine. "Not everyone is a morning person, I guess. You get used to tuning it out after a while." He leaned back against the supply wagon, having finished taking care of the last of the supplies, and answered her next question. "Generalmente. Occasionally, one or two people will spend a night in the nearest town, but that's only if they're on a job or gathering supplies."
He noticed her glancing at the horses, picking up on what he figured her train of thought was. "I wouldn't worry about getting yourself a horse too much at the moment. For now, you can ride in the wagon or ride double with someone. Horses aren't cheap if you decide to get them legally and stealing one isn't always easy, especially if you don't have much experience with them."

 

[Lua]

Birdie​

Mood: Annoyed
Location: Camp
Mentions: ZoneyGirl | Safety Hammer | Superwholock | FireMaiden
Interactions: N/A

Birdie's mouth formed into a straight line as she listened to what Micah had to say - trying his best to let go the comment about Serena and her. All she wanted was some information, not petty comments. It seemed like that was all she had been hearing lately. Nevertheless, Birdie felt a little relief knowing she might be able to skip out on the woods today and see a glimpse of civilization. She managed to force the smile once again, not as bright as the one she had forced before. "Sound's lovely, Mr. Bell. I think surveying the locals might give us a good idea of what we are up too next - and maybe where to head next..." She stopped herself from continuing, not wanting to give the impression that she was TOO smart. She wasn't sure the man could handle it. Luckily, in that moment it became apparent that Dutch had final risen from whatever deep sleep he had fallen in the night before, giving her an excuse to get away.
"I'll find something to eat." This was the last she said to Micah, nodding once as if to somehow get into his head to not forget her when - and if they really - were heading out. In regards to the sudden breakfast demands - she had learned quickly to not try to argue or eye-roll when it came to food - unlike some of the other females around here. At least if Birdie was going to eye-roll, she would do so behind the backs of the men who held her in good fortune. The woman made her way back to the supply wagon to see if there was anything worth while - she wasn't sure how late in the morning it was and what exactly would be left over to consume.
A good thing about the woods was it was filled with plenty of resources - and by plenty it usually meant a lot of berries to make jam - and after years of perfecting the craft she had spent the last couple of weeks making a lot of it. Grabbing a jar and a loaf of bread, along with whatever was left of the butter, she made her way back over to the table she had cleared off earlier. Upon setting the items down, she leaned down to retrieve a knife tucked away inside her boot in order to create even slices. She figured if everyone ate something, they would simmer down and rational thought would cross their mind - she frowned at herself for not thinking of such a thing earlier. She worked quickly, somehow managing not to take one of her fingers off in the process.
When she was finished, she brushed her hands on her apron, satisfied with her work; she moved her skirts out of the way and sat, crossing her arms.

 

[ZoneyGirl]

Prudence Simmons
Location :: Van der Linde camp
Mood :: tired
Interacting with :: Virgil
Tag :: Superwholock

Prudence idly watched the group by the horses as she was talking to Virgil. Micah had always rubbed her the wrong way and she didn't see why a character like him was even around. Let alone someone who was in charge, she saw the type in London. He wouldn't be afraid to use anyone of them to cover his own ass. At least the man didn't hide it. She had to respect him for that at least, if only that. Nothing else about he deserved an ounce of it. That little that did just kept her from calling him a few slang words from London anytime he told her to do something.

"Right, guess I won't then..." but it did cut her out from some work when she didn't ride one herself. A lesson or two wouldn't be a bad idea if there was a horse she could trust enough to learn how to ride. Save up some cash and buy her own, or just try to get one off the stable owner with a trade of her own. A glance went towards Dutch as the man finally left his tent. She studied him for a moment. The man always put effort into what he looked like, at least someone at the camp did.

She looked back at Virgil. "Seems our boss has finally awoken," she muttered. Hearing Micah's words towards all the women she only shook her head. "Someone should just feed him something a bit undercooked. Maybe it will mean he'll make his own food. Bloody biter," she muttered and ran a hand through her hair. "What are your plans for the day?"

 

[FireMaiden]

​

Location: The Van Der Linde camp
Interaction: Rumble Fish (Carrie) ZoneyGirl (Micah)
Mention: Safety Hammer (Dutch)
Mood: Cold, and still a little angry
"Maybe if you knew my language, you'd realize just how proper I am, " Serena bit back at Micah. She was never impressed by his threats if you could even call them that. He didn't seem to really have a good grasp of just how dangerous the women in this camp were. With the exception of Prue. Carrie could sabotage anyone's horse in such a way it would look like an accident. Birdie was a bit threatening, Lana was certainly a danger, and Serena herself could hit a moving squirrel in the eye if she wanted to. Micah just seemed to overlook all of that. But, perhaps it was a good thing. When he finally got what was coming to him, the surprise on his face would be worth it. She was unphased by his comment about talk in the bedroom because unfortunately, he was right. Serena made a good amount of money on the side with blackmail alone, it was certainly one way to do things. But she had left that life behind.

Her attention turned back to Carrie when she not only gave Serena another thing to do but complimented Rosa. Serena smiled sweetly, looking to her horse before her hazel eyes found Carrie again. "Gracias. She's such a lovely girl. She listens to you, right? Took me a few weeks to get her to trust me enough." Rosa hadn't been too thrilled about the sudden shift in ownership, but there was a relief about her when Serena finally showed she wouldn't treat Rosa the same as her last master. The Hispanic woman was thrilled about it, to say the least. That brief moment of happiness though was overwhelmed by both Micah's comment and Dutch's voice. Her time was better-suited tending to the horses like Carrie had asked, Serena turning her attention to the nearest horse to start brushing the last of dirt and bugs off the coat.

Cooking breakfast was never her job anyway.

​

Location: The Van Der Linde Camp
Interaction: ZoneyGirl (Micah) Lua (Birdie)
Mentioned: Rumble Fish (Carrie)
Mood: Annoyed and Hungry
The sound of a dog barking happily filled the air as the figures of Desmond and little Jackson broke the treeline at the entrance of camp. A varmint rifle on one shoulder, four rabbits on the other. He had woken up early to do a bit of hunting, check the traps he left out or maybe just try his luck with a rifle. The pelts for those rabbits wouldn't be worth much with a hole in them, it obvious that the skulls were intact, but they could use them for something. Desmond had already skinned, gutted, and trimmed the carcasses, the pelts and most of the usable meat wrapped up neatly in his satchel, Desmond didn't look too impressed about what he walked in on. "Don't worry Dutch, I got it handled."

His footfalls were heavy, the brown mutt of his running around his feet as he walked further i to camp, letting his blue eye linger on Carrie for a moment as he came up beside Micah. "Leave the women alone ya weasel, they ain't done nothing to yer sorry ass." Micah was not a man in Desmond's eyes. He could have been fully blind and still think the same, especially after the shit he pulled with the Pinkertons. Desmond didn't trust him, and the fact Dutch kept him around was appalling. He kept walking though, over to the food wagon where he hung the rabbits up out of the way, grabbing their pelts out of his satchel to out them down as well. He grabbed a pan, then made his way over to the fire.

"Morning Ms.Birdie," Desmond said with a slight nod, placing the pan over the fire as he retrieved the rabbit meat from his satchel. Opening the cloth he had it stored in, he dumped out the meat onto the pain, the satisfying sizzle filling the air with the smell of cooking meat, Desmond smiled a bit. "You ready for breakfast ma'am?"

 

[Rumble Fish]

Location: Van Der Lind Camp
Mood: Melancholy and a little petty
Interactions: FireMaiden (Serena/Desmond)
Mentions: Safety Hammer (Dutch) ZoneyGirl (Micah)

"Hm." The woman sighed at Micah's comment towards her, "Easy words for a man who's basement is ten floors above my ceiling." She sighed as she finished tacking up Brown Jack. The behemoth of a horse gave her a soft push with his muzzle, as if sensing the woman's sudden downcast mood. Carrie gave him a sad smile and a stroke of his nose before moving away to get the tack for the next equine. As she passed Serena, the woman piped up again, asking if Rosa liked her. While still melancholy, Carrie managed a smile as the mare looked between the two women with perked ears and fluttering nostrils, knowing the pair were talking about her. Carrie chuckled and used her ringer to wiggle the skin between her nostrils in a light scratch while Rosa tried and failed to playfully nip her fingers.


"Don't be so modest, Ms de Tavares." She spoke melodically, "She allowed you to ride her first. I feel she prefers it if I stay on the ground, which, if that is what she wants is fair to me." She thought back to when the mare had joined them. She would not allow anyone near her and the woman had a couple of new scars on her shoulders from being bitten, but the mare slowly began to trust again and took a special liking to the Hispanic woman and having seen the two together, the horse had made a good choice for a mistress. Giving the mare a final pet, she grabbed Boaz's tack, but stopped as Dutch emerged from his tent and Micah continued his tirade as if he himself was in charge. That would have been laughable. She gave the blonde vulture a sharp glare out of the corner of her eye.

Heavy footsteps and the strong voice of Desmond caused her head to turn as he told off Micah upon approach. Her mismatched eyes settled onto the man as he then solved the breakfast problem by taking on the job himself. It was good of him to tell Micah off. He was much more of a man than him; and Carrie had known that since their first meeting where he had been one of he group who had happened to rob the stagecoach that contained her and the other slaves. It pained her to dwell on the event, having no knowledge of what happened to her fellow-captives once they had escaped but there was a silver-lining. Desmond had been especially involved and was one of the men she was most thankful to. In hindsight, it did not shock her that Micah was not present during all of this. Given how he felt about her, it was for the best. She flashed the man a slight smile before sighing and walked towards Boaz. Carrie had to assume that it would be better for her to not go, but she did not want to be kept within the camp's walls either. She cleared her throat a little as she continued to groom Boaz.

"I'll let you boys and girls have that fun. I'm going to go hunting." The marble skinned lady spoke up, "Some bison were travelling through here. One bull would feed us for a week. I'll see what I can do but let's hope we're lucky" she added, not mentioning that it was primarily to get away from Micah. There was no intention to impress or prove herself, she knew nothing would satisfy that psycho. The woman tacked up the paint horse silently after speaking She planned to leave almost as soon as her jobs were done. Some time alone with nature would suit her far better than going into civilisation. Not everybody would be quite as accepting as the gang. While Carrie was hoping to soon put the past in the past, having Micah here ruined that. As she finished up with Boaz, she glanced over to Baylock once again, who was tacked and standing peacefully, eating his oats. For all his words, Carrie knew that Micah was lazy. He assumed she would do her job and not check for himself. Odd-coloured eyes darted, ensuring the man was not near before slipping to the side of the black horse and loosening his cinch by two or three holes. The horse chuffed and his belly extended with the extra room, thankful for it. Carrie gave Baylock a little scratch behind the ear before heading back to Serena and Rosa as if she hadn't done it. It was not her first time inflicting some petty revenge on a white man.