#TOMBSTONE CITY

[sgt-tombstone]

headcanon that Ghost doesn’t know how to drive a manual transmission. Military vehicles are all automatic, and he’d never had a reason or opportunity to learn, so he just… hadn’t. At least, not well. He’d driven stick shifts enough to understand the basics and not stall every time he got behind the wheel, but it’s not something he’s super comfortable with

When he retires (or is forced to retire), the car that Price sets him up with is a manual. He makes it back to the flat (that Price also set him up with) with no small amount of frustration, and he spends the rest of the following week in a state of near-paralysis

If it were just the car, it would be fine. He’s not afraid of learning new things, and he’s definitely not one to let his own pride get in the way of being a functional adult human being. But it’s not just the car. It’s the disruption to his whole routine, the stark unfamiliarity of civilian life, the fundamental alteration of his entire life being uprooted and hastily replanted. The car is just the physical embodiment of it

He’s avoids driving as much as possible, because he hates the reminder that things are different. If he just stays in his flat, he can almost pretend that he’s just on leave. So he lives on take-out, he doesn’t furnish his flat past the bare essentials, he doesn’t let himself settle in

It all comes to a head when Johnny tries to visit on his leave. He asks Simon to pick him up at the airport, and Simon… can’t. He’s built such a mental barrier around his car, the physical manifestation of everything slipping out of control in his life, and he just… can’t

He calls Johnny, who’s obviously still at the airport if the background noise is any indication, and he pours it all out. The empty flat, the constant take-out, the unmoored feeling, and above all, the fucking car. He’s scared, he’s alone, he’s in over his head, and it’s the first time he’s admitted any of it. When he finishes his outpouring of uncharacteristic emotion, Johnny just says, “I’ll help you buy a new car,” like it’s that easy, like that will solve everything

And it does, because the car was never just a car. Johnny cashes in all of his built-up leave time and helps Simon pick out a new (automatic transmission) car. He helps Simon shop for furniture, even if it takes all day and they both leave the store frustrated with nothing to show for it. He helps Simon stock his pantry with ingredients, snacks, and pre-prepared meals, because some days are worse than others. He helps Simon get his feet underneath him, because it’s something he’s never had to do before

He never drives a manual transmission again and he thinks that maybe that’s okay

[wandering-cemeteries]

Fall in the graveyard of Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan.

[rabbitcruiser]

National Day of the Cowboy

Saddle up and get ready to ride into the sunset with the thrill and excitement of the Wild West! Cowboys are the ultimate symbol of grit, determination, and adventure.

Giddyup! Ride ‘em Cowboy!

Celebrate this symbol of the American West by learning about and appreciating the National Day of the Cowboy.

History of National Day of the Cowboy

Following the Civil War, many men moved west looking for ways to work and make a living. One of the attractions of the American frontier was the relative freedom, as well as the option to become cowboys who could access free range cattle.

The “Wild West”, beginning in the 1860s through the end of the 19th century, became a time of a bit of chaos on the frontier where gangs of criminals were easily bred. Infamous cowboys, like Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and John Wesley Hardin were outlaws who committed various robberies, cattle rustling and even murder.

First sponsored in the US Senate in 2005, National Day of the Cowboy was originally brought about by Wyoming’s US Senator at the time, Craig Thomas.

Former president Bush said this about the National Day of the Cowboy: “We celebrate the Cowboy as a symbol of the grand history of the American West. The Cowboy’s love of the land and love of the country are examples for all Americans.”

National Day of the Cowboy Timeline

1725

The term “cowboy” is first being used 

Jonathan Swift uses the word in his famous book, Gulliver’s Travels, but it really just means a boy who tends cows.

Mid-1800s

The “Wild West” period begins

After the American Civil War, many men head to Texas where free-ranging cattle are available for any cowboy who wants to round them up – and the popularity of eating beef increases.

1875

“Billy the Kid” is first arrested 

This infamous cowboy criminal is a gunfighter, murderer, fugitive, cattle rustler, and eventually dies at the young age of 21.

1930

John Wayne first appears in film 

The Big Trail is the first movie that actor “Duke” Morrison makes in what will be a series of more than 75 films over his lifetime.

1960

Dallas Cowboys are founded 

In the early days of the National Football League (NFL), the Dallas Cowboys franchise was established and went on to become an extremely popular team.

How to Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy

Celebrating National Day of the Cowboy can be loads of fun in a variety of ways! Try out some of these delightful ideas to enjoy the day:

Dress Like a Cowboy

This can be a way to connect with your inner cowboy by wearing some special gear to work, to school or just while running daily errands. Try out some basic blue jeans, some clever cowboy boots, a leather vest and a western shirt (complete with shell snaps!).

Perhaps try a bolo tie or a handkerchief tied around the neck. And, of course, it would be appropriate to top it all off with an enormous cowboy hat. The bigger, the better!

Listen to a Cowboy Song Playlist

Because they typically hail from the southwest, cowboys may have a particular style of music they enjoy. National Day of the Cowboy would be a perfect time to create a list of songs that give a nod to the tunes of these unique characters:

Mommas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboysby Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson (1978). This one was originally recorded by Ed Bruce in 1976, but this more popular version was recorded two years later.

Cowboy Take Me Away by The Chicks–formerly Dixie Chicks (1999). A play on the phrase “Calgon Take Me Away”, from the famous slogan from bath product commercials, this song reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart in February 2000.

Cowboy Cassanova by Carrie Underwood (2009). Released on Underwood’s third studio album, Play On, the single was certified 2x Platinum.

The Cowboy in Me by Tim McGraw (2001). Written by Jeffrey Steele, Al Anderson and Craig Wiseman, this song made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart that year.

Visit a Rodeo

A great time for enjoying all things related to National Day of the Cowboy, visiting the rodeo can be an amazing experience! Regular events include activities such as steer wrestling, bull riding, calf roping, steer roping, bareback horse, barrel racing and saddle bronc riding. Of course, don’t forget the scorecard for keeping score.

Don’t forget to wear the above-mentioned cowboy gear when headed to the rodeo. Those who are lucky might get to see a rodeo clown. Perhaps even try riding the mechanical bull!

Follow Some Sage Cowboy Advice

Cowboys from the Wild West have lived a great deal of life and have tons of experience! With all of that experience comes a great deal of wisdom and they have often been known to share their advice with others in clever phrases, like “Don’t squat with your spurs on”, or “Never corner something meaner than you”.

Enjoy a few of these phrases and consider sharing them with friends, family and coworkers in honor of National Day of the Cowboy. Some of them might even be fun to have printed on a t-shirt to wear on the day:

“Don’t go in if you don’t know the way out.”

“If you get thrown from a horse, you have to get up and get back on, unless you landed on a cactus; then you have to roll around and scream in pain.”

“Some cowboys have too much tumbleweed in their blood to settle down.”

“If you’re ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there with ya.”

Watch Some Cowboy Movies

One of the great film settings of all time, the Wild West is the perfect place for cowboy movies to be made! This day offers a great time to enjoy a collection of classic Western movies in honor of National Day of the Cowboy! Try out one (or all!) of these:

True Grit (1969). One of John Wayne’s most famous movies, this film features a US Marshal and Texas Ranger who chases down a murderer in dangerous territory. It was remade in 2010, starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Brolin.

Rango (2011). Fun for adults and family members alike, this computer animated Western comedy film stars Johnny Depp who voices a chameleon character who accidentally gets stranded in the desert.

The Lone Ranger (1956). This classic cowboy film was based on the American television series of the same name that was from 1949-1957, starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels.

No Country for Old Men (2007). Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Woody Harrelson are the all-star cast in this modern Western crime thriller movie created by the Coen brothers. Based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, this film won a huge array of film awards.

Are cowboys real?

Yes. Although they are less common than they may have been several decades ago, the American cowboy continues in places like Colorado, Texas, Montana, and even Connecticut.

How did cowboys dress?

Cowboys are known for their pointy leather cowboy boots, vests with pockets and very large cowboy hats.

What are cowboy hats made of?

Cowboy hats are typically made of either felt or straw. Less commonly, they can be made of leather.

Do cowboys ride cows?

No! Cowboys ride horses, of course. They are called cowboys because they take care of and drive cattle herds.

How do cowboys talk?

Depending on where they are from, cowboys may have unique phrases like “Howdy Partner”, “Giddyup”, “City Slicker”, and “Head ‘em up and move ‘em out”.

Source

[chansondereste]

[darrinjoakley]

Death

[yuriboobz]

[kidsnextdoor-doodles]

Do you ever think about Sector Z’s real families? Because I do

[guilty-pleasures21]

After watching Tombstone, I can't help but wonder what Dara or Ali (both if you're up to it) would think of a reader who's like Doc Holiday.

Sick as a dog at a CONSTANT but remains hella strong and fierce in combat. Dies sometimes, but always comes back, and is always ready for a fight. Like- lemme grab short scenes

https://youtube.com/shorts/9tjNYAQLhM0?si=xwbCP5qaXK4V1nMb

https://youtube.com/shorts/c0zP2QRXkrg?si=qTKrMlQkuUdfkld-

https://youtube.com/shorts/bEymttt_6T4?si=pj7eV9JQHPmim86q

What makes it better is that Doc beat everyone's ass.

Hey hey! So nice to hear from you again @queen-shiba ! 🥰

I watched the clips and OH MY GOD I LOVE this guy!!! He's so cool, I think I might just watch the movie myself!

I did my best to try emulate his character in the form of a female reader and I really hope it works, but I'm always happy to try again if you're not happy with it!

Also, I'm going to split what I've written into two parts, a) so it isn't too long and b) because I added some smut (with my love Dara, of course 🥺) and I'm not sure if you want that, so I'm separating it into a part 2 just in case you don't want to read it (if you do though, just let me know and I can tag you when I release it 😊).

The end of this town

Part 1

Part 2

Warnings: depictions of violence

----------------------------------------------------------

Ali followed behind Dara as he led X into the tavern. He still couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed, especially when he glanced over at X and saw the way she stumbled over to the table Dara had found. Ali took the seat across from them, his curious gaze still trained on X as she slumped over the table tiredly.

“Delam?" (My heart?) Dara bent over to catch X’s eye after ordering them some food and drinks - she needed to get her energy back after all the magic she’d just spent on helping them escape. “The food will be here in a bit. Don’t worry, you’ll be all right.” Ali leaned over the table, eyes wide with disbelief.

“She’ll be all right?!” he repeated incredulously. “What about the entire village she almost decimated?!”

They’d chanced upon a quaint settlement whilst on their way to find X’s mother - the great Banu Manizeh. Of course, Ali had made his objections to the quest, his first priority being to return to the city he’d been exiled from by his own father - it was still better than chasing after a ghost, after all. But Dara had simply left him with the choice to join them or stay behind and starve to death in the desert - a choice that hadn’t really been a choice at all, Ali had grumbled quietly as he’d jumped onto the horse X had left for him. They’d reached the village soon after - a reasonably sized oasis with food and water and a proper bed on which they could rest their aching muscles. But then someone had recognised Ali and the entire population had grabbed whatever weapons they could find so they could kill him and get the reward money. Dara had tried to fend them off for long enough that Ali could take X and make an escape, but they’d found themselves in a dead end - trapped by a solid brick wall on one side and a crowd of frenzied villagers on the other. Ali had recited a prayer as he’d raised his zulfiqar, ready to go down defending his honour, when suddenly, the entire mob flew backwards like a gust of wind had blown them off their feet. Those of them who hadn’t been knocked unconscious by smashing their skulls into the surrounding buildings had curled up in pain, bloodcurdling shrieks clawing their way up their throats along with the blood that oozed out of their mouths and nose. Ali had turned to grab X and seize the opportunity to make their escape, but she hadn’t seemed present anymore. He still remembered the cruel twist of her lips and the dangerous glint in her eyes, like something truly wicked had taken over her. Ali had watched in stunned silence as she’d taken a step forward, the sickening crunch of bones breaking following after her as she'd swept past the villagers. She was doing it, he’d realised with horror; she was using her healing powers to reach into their bodies and twist around their insides however she liked. The thought had made him sick to his stomach. Thankfully, Dara had quickly reappeared and bundled X up in his arms, his emerald eyes glowing with concern as he’d brought her out of her trance. X had returned to herself soon after, then collapsed against Dara, leaning on him for support. And that was how they’d ended up here: surrounded by a roomful of vagrants who at any moment do something to set X off. How had he landed himself in this situation again?

“I’ll go get us some rooms for the night,” Ali decided, pushing himself off of his seat. Dara shot up immediately, his thick brows twisted into a frown as he stared Ali down.

“Maybe if you’d kept your headscarf on, you marids-cursed sandfly,” Dara growled at him in anger, “we wouldn’t be in this situation, would we?!” Right. As always, everything bad that ever happened was his fault. Great. Dara ignored the tightening of Ali’s jaw as their waitress returned to set their food down on the table, his attention focused entirely on guiding small spoonfuls of food into X’s mouth. X sighed wearily and took the spoon from Dara to begin feeding herself. But Ali saw the way she continued to sneak glances at him, her full lips curling at the ends every time she saw the concern etched onto his features. His heart cracked at the sight.

“You will stay here and keep yourself hidden,” he commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ll go book the rooms.” He looked down at X then, already smiling up at him sweetly, and his expression softened. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, then trailed his fingers down the side of her cheek.

“Make sure you finish everything, jaaneman,” (my soul) he told her softly, his voice gentler than Ali had ever heard it before. X rolled her eyes affectionately, then turned to gesture to the numerous platters spread out across the table.

“You practically ordered me the entire tavern, jaane delam!” (the life of my heart) she exclaimed, her snickers quickly turning into weak coughs. Dara grabbed a glass of water and lifted it to her lips to get her to drink. She obliged, then grinned again when he’d set it back down. “I’ll explode if I try to finish all of it! Here, have some, Ali. You haven’t eaten anything either.”

Ali looked to Dara for permission - not that he needed his permission for anything - and found the warrior’s green eyes boring into him threateningly. X sighed again and nudged Dara with her shoulder, forcing him to look at her and see the frown on her face. Dara clenched his jaw, but silently relented, turning around to go get them some rooms. X pushed one of the plates over to Ali once Dara’s back was turned and he cautiously accepted it.

“So,” Ali cleared his throat once the silence around them had become too awkward to bear. “Are you all right? After … everything?” X shrugged and continued munching on the rice and vegetables laid before her.

“I’ll be fine,” she dismissed him nonchalantly. “Magic follows emotions, right? And I have pretty powerful emotions.” She tried to give him a mischievous smirk, but the effort required to raise her head seemed too much at that point, so she continued to remain slumped over the table as she ate her food.

Right. Was that why she seemed so tired all the time? Because her magic was so powerful that it drained her whenever she tried to use it? But she hadn’t seemed to be as sickly when he first met her - she’d probably been holding back then; hiding the true extent of her power so his father wouldn’t deem her too dangerous to keep around. Ali startled as a metal cup slammed down on the table in front of him and he looked up to find a grizzled, middle-aged man taking the seat beside X.

“You must have been working hard today to work up such an appetite, princess,” he murmured, his breath reeking of alcohol. “Think you can ‘squeeze in’ one more customer tonight?” The man glanced over at the table behind them to exchange delighted snickers with his friends.

“Leave her alone!” Ali demanded, leaping to his feet and holding a hand out in warning. He rested his other palm on his zulfiqar, wanting to draw it instinctively, but knowing it would be dangerous to reveal himself here. The man eyed him up and down, then let out a disgusted snort.

“Mind your own business, crocodile,” the man insulted him before returning his lecherous gaze to X. He raised a hand to her head, meaning to reach out and twirl a strand of her hair between his sticky fingers, but she stopped him immediately.

“Don’t touch me,” X told him, her soft voice so at odds with the vice-like grip she had on his forearm. The man sputtered in shock as he tried to free himself from her grasp and X let go of him to continue eating her food. The man rubbed his wrist as he stood up, his eyes still wide with surprise. Then his expression hardened.

“You insolent whore!” he screamed, raising his hand to smack her with it. “I should- AHHHHHH!” He shrieked in pain and crumpled to the ground as he felt his blood pounding against his own skin, fighting to break free. Every face in the tavern spun around to face them at the commotion and Ali felt his heart start hammering in his chest with the fear of being discovered. He had to stop her before she gave them away! Or hurt someone! Or hurt everyone!

“Did you not have a mother or was she too busy crying over your cheating alcoholic scumbag of a father to teach you any manners?” X asked, pushing herself to her feet. Her tone was lazy, her movements slow and exhausted, but Ali saw that same terrifying gleam in her eyes as she looked down at the man.

“How dare you!” one of the man’s friends exclaimed as he shot to his feet. He swayed as he marched over to X, clearly inebriated, but delusional enough to think that he could take her in a fight. X sighed and placed a hand on his chest when he approached her, stopping him easily. Then she grabbed onto his shoulders and pulled him down as she raised her knee to slam it into his stomach. The man gasped, then began wheezing for breath as he sank to his knees beside his friend, still bleeding out of his nose on the ground.

“Anybody else want me to ‘squeeze them in’?” X asked, spreading her arms and spinning around to give the rest of the tavern a questioning look. “I’m feeling generous tonight, so I’ll even offer you a two for one special if you’re interested!” She let out a snicker, then stopped to cough again, the movement causing her to bend over so she could catch her breath. Ali took the chance to rush over to her side and lead her back to her seat so she wouldn’t cause any more of a ruckus than she already had. Ey khuda (oh God), did that goddamned Afshin have to teach her how to fight? When she was already so dangerous?! Ali held onto X’s arm as she lowered herself to the seat, but then he almost fell over when a fist struck the side of his head.

“Wha-” Ali turned around, dazed, and was met with the two other members of the man’s entourage. Was this never going to end?!

“Y-You … f-freaks!” One of the men wagged a finger in his face, his words slurred from all the alcohol in his system. He swung a fist at Ali but he caught it easily, holding the man in place.

“Sir, trust me, you don’t want to do this,” Ali warned him, more concerned about the drunk man than about the young woman happily munching on her food behind him.

“Sh-Sh-Shut up!” The other man yelled at Ali before smashing his glass down on the table. Then he held the jagged edges out before him, waving them around wildly as he tried to focus on his target. “Get out of the way, s-s-sandfly! We want that b*tch, not you.”

Ali winced at his words, knowing that it had been the wrong thing to say. X pushed herself up and turned to face the men, her lips pressed tight with anger. She grabbed the wrist of the man holding the broken glass and tugged him towards her with more force than she looked capable of wielding right then. She glanced at the man's companions, still curled up helplessly on the ground, then pulled her gaze back up to her current target.

“Why is it that the most unintelligent of men are always the loudest?” she asked, not bothering to wait for a response before punching the man square in the throat. He dropped his glass to clutch at his throat and staggered backwards as he desperately gasped for air. The last man standing howled with fury before charging at X, but she just bent over and calmly picked up the broken glass lying on the floor. The man tripped over her hunched form, flying across the room and landing on the table he'd previously been sitting at.

“Wha-” He appeared disoriented for a few seconds, but then shook himself out of his daze and ran at X again. She held the glass in front of her as he approached, letting him ram his stomach right into the sharp edges. The man shrieked in horror as the blood began to trickle out of him, then he, too, was writhing around on the floor in agony. X smiled at the sight, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, then she lowered herself to her knees.

She was insane, she was actually insane! Forget about Ali accidentally giving away his identity and putting them all into danger, X might actually just get them all killed sometime soon! Ali knelt down beside X and shook her shoulder, trying to get her to abandon the man whose chest she'd placed her palms upon.

“X,” he hissed at her, his gaze flickering around the tavern discreetly to take in the aghast faces of the people around them. “X, get up. We have to go!”

X didn't listen, choosing instead to stay in position and continue healing the men she'd broken. She hadn't injured them that badly - it only seemed worse because they'd probably already downed half of the tavern's monthly supply of alcohol by the time she'd gotten there. But she'd sober them up now; fix their wounds and clear their minds so they'd know never to treat another woman with disrespect again. Honestly, the state of the world astounded her sometimes: how dare all these pathetic men beat and abuse the very beings who brought them to life, who nurtured them and gave them everything they could ever wish for. Dara would never treat her that way. Or allow anyone else to, for that matter.

She stood up, finally, and the men jumped to their feet at the same time. The four of them stared at X with a mixture of disgust and fear, then they began scrambling over each other to race out of the tavern.

“Finally!” One of the waitresses turned to grin at X, delighted by her show of bravery. Well, ‘foolishness’ was probably a more appropriate word for the situation, Ali thought to himself. “I thought we'd never get rid of the ‘furious four’!”

“‘Fumbling four’ is more like it,” one of the patrons added in jest.

“Or what about ‘frightened four’?” another suggested, waving his cup in the air in agreement. The crowd burst into laughter, all of them throwing their own coins into the pot, and Ali allowed himself a small sigh of relief. Maybe they really could be safe for one night; just one.

[colorado-corvidian]

Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo, Colorado

[therogerclarkfanclub]

The Blackwater First National Bank is coming along rather nicely 😎

[lunearobservatory]

I feel like Arizona could totally give WASP mom energy because some of AZ's city names sound like they're straight out of a white suburban mom's naming handbook: Payson, Chandler, Phoenix, Parker, Page...

Originally, I was going to reply to this with a well thought out response about others like Mesa, Sedona, and Marana, but fuck that

EVERYONE GET IN THE FUCKING MINIVAN

[wandering-cemeteries]

Arthur Donnelly Esq. Born March 25th, 1798 drowned off Rockaway Beach in the wreck of the Ship Bristol November 21st, 1866

Trinity Cemetery, New York City

[pasta-pardner]

I'm going to Arizona for Tombstone Redemption!!!.🤠💕

if any of y'all are attending the con, hmu and we can maybe say hi.

[supjello]

would i recommend watching tombstone? no. would i recommend watching a smash cut of doc holliday's scenes? yes absolutely.

[darrinjoakley]

WISE WORDS