#wild west series

[tiny-maus-boots]

Down South pt 3

Stacie:

Stacie peeked around the back corner of their house and took note of where the remaining shooters were located. There weren’t that many but a few had taken cover behind still living tumbleweeds that ringed their courtyard. Without a good line of sight Aubrey would be hard pressed to pick them off. In the end each side would resort to potshots at the other until someone ran out of ammo or they lit the house and barn. 

Well that sure as hell wasn’t going to happen on her watch. They had spent good long hours together, sweating and bleeding to build a home from nothing but dirt and clay. It was the proudest work she’d ever done and the most peace she had ever felt and she wasn’t willing to let anyone ruin it for her. For any of them. Stacie gave a soft bird whistle and smiled when a volley of shots rang out from the second floor. Just enough fire to give her cover as she scooted the exposed span from the house to the barn. 

She ducked inside and closed the door behind her. Shouts from the bushes let her know they’d seen her and they were planning to flush her out. Stacie chuckled and rolled her eyes at the predictability. 

“Men. Always in a rush to get ‘er done.” 

The tall brunette ducked down behind a squat platform on wheels and pushed it forward to center it to the door. She stepped up behind it and yanked away the heavy canvas tarp covering her newest baby. Stacie’s fingers traced over the calligraphy lovingly etched on the side of one of the six barrels of her gatling gun. 

Southern Hospitality. 

 Each piece was crafted by her own two hands with the help of the local blacksmith. It had taken her weeks just to figure out how to get the lock cylinder to work and truthfully she’d hadn’t had the chance to try her out. There was a very real possibility that it would blow up in her face from misfires when she turned the crank. And it was still the sexiest damn hardware she’d ever laid eyes on, making her hands itch with anticipation.

“Hello gorgeous.”

Rough voices barked out orders in short staccato bursts. It didn’t worry her none. Stacie whistled a tuneless melody as she lifted the hopper full of rounds and clicked it into place. The activity on the other side of the door became frenzied when the men had finally made their way past the barrage of bullets from the house. 

“We know you’re in there, woman. Come without a fight and make this easy. Don’t make us have to hurt you.” 

If she had a peso for every time she’d heard that. Stacie snagged a long stalk of hay from the abandoned pile and stuck it between her smiling lips. Well, they’d learn just like the others, she never went down without a fight. 

“Well boys, if ya want me you’re gonna hafta just come and get me.” 

The doors to the barn rattled ominously, a threat of what would come if they had to come in and get her. They would come in with guns drawn and ready, that was for sure. They might underestimate who exactly they were dealing with but not enough to be that careless and stupid. Stacie didn’t intend to give them a chance to shoot. The moment she saw the doors buckle and start to bow out she started to crank her girl up. 

Her lips tugged back wider as her grin turned to a grimace from the loud crack of rapid fire shots blasting through the doors of the barn. Acrid smoke from the gunpowder stung her nostrils, the heat of combustion left her face feeling warm and raw like she’d been too close to a blacksmith’s forge. 

Stacie kept cranking until the hopper was empty and the only sounds left were the echoing clacks of spinning barrels rotating through the locking gear. What was left of the lower half of one of the doors creaked in the breeze and promptly fell to the dirt. From where she stood she counted four sets of legs on the ground and none of them were moving. 

Careful steps brought her around Southern Hospitality toward the doors. The woman cautiously pushed the door open and peeked out at the damage. They’d need to replace the doors before the cattle arrived, maybe a plank or two out of the front wall but the building stood strong. Stacie gave a testing kick to the foot of one of the men and nodded with satisfaction. Movement by the porch caught her eye and she drew her pistol without thought and fired.

He dropped to the ground with a groan and a curse. Gut shot. No bullet wound was a good one but a gut shot was the worst. The man raises his gun and fired back wildly, making her have to duck back into the barn for cover. Now she was pinned until he either bled out or one of the girls came downstairs to deal with him. She was guessing the latter would be happening very quickly.

It wasn’t long before she heard the soft fluttering chirp of their all clear call. Whatever end that man had met it ended silently and likely by one of Beca’s blades. Stacie pushed the door open wider and scanned the area. Nothing moved save for Beca wiping a knife on the shirt of the man on the porch. They shared a solemn nod as she closed the distance to the house. 

“We get all of them?”

“Aubrey says yes.”

“Good enough. Who the hell are they?”

Beca knelt by the man and searched his vest pockets. She sighed and ripped off the badge pinned to his shirt to hold it up. Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Well shit. Stacie holstered her gun and kicked at the man’s leg just out of spite. They looked at each other over the Pinkerton’s body, each refusing to say the smartest course of action. 

They could run. They should run. 

But she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Stacie couldn’t even bring herself to voice the idea that felt like admitting so much defeat. They broke eye contact when the front door swung open and Chloe and Aubrey shuffled out. Beca silently held out the badge to Chloe and stood back. The redhead shuddered and dropped the badge on the ground as if it burned. 

Aubrey wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulders and nodded to the men laying scattered around their property with her chin. Her nose wrinkled daintily as she considered all their options. Stacie hoped the blonde wasn’t about to suggest a Christian burial for any of them. She was far past being done with breaking her back for a man. Any man.

“They’ll come looking when this lot doesn’t come back to the pueblo. If they come here they will burn it to the ground if we’re inside or not.”

Chloe shook off the memory that had prompted her statement and hooked her thumbs in her suspenders. If they ran now it wouldn’t matter, everything would still be destroyed. They’d lose everything but their lives and even that wasn’t guaranteed. Stacie tossed her long locks over her shoulder and looked up at the position of the sun. It would be dark soon enough and that would provide them a measure of cover. 

“I don’t know about y’all but I’m all out of run. This is our home now, we built this, and I’ll be damned if I like some shiny metal scare me off our land.”

Aubrey gave her a long measuring look before nodding her agreement. Her soft voice carried the weight of all their thoughts. 

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born…”

“And a time to die.” 

They finished the verse solemnly. Stacie imagined those Pinkertons would agree. Right up until they realized they would be the ones doing the dying. Aubrey mumbled a soft prayer for them all and placed her hat on her head with firm conviction. 

And so their time for peace was at an end, as they were certain to ride into a time of war. Stacie watched the light that had grown in Aubrey’s eyes dim with cold resignation. For now. For now they’d give up their peace. But Stacie would spend every minute until her last bringing that light back if she had to blow up every single Pinkerton that crossed the border.

[thebadsansbandits]

Page 20!

Sorry I didn’t post this last week, I was sick

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[leafdoodles]

Dirges in The Dark [Fanart]

Comic/scene redraw based on @twodiamondhoes really cool fic Dirges in the Dark!

I saw it on Ao3 and it's a Life Series western au with Ranchers and you should read it. I had to restrain myself from drawing other scenes (hold me back guys).

[antares-dupont]

jumped on the bandwagon (made a cowboy au)

its based mostly on 3l, but theres a bit of dl in theree too. (i havent finished their ref yet, but the ranchers snd scarlet pearl sre there)

idk what the plot is yet? but i might keep going w this idea

[mywaywardcupcake]

Joey the Kid. WIP for a Wild West au that’s taken over my brain recently that was inspired by @luxielovesparkles cowboy Jou art she posted!

[pnwdagnabbit]

Garrett Hedlund | Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2024) S.1 - Ep. 3

[fruitviking]

Making more book covers. Love the serious grayscale tones of everything...and then 'YeeH&W' 😅

[bs-fangirl]

Some important things to note about the new Horizon Forbidden West DLC, Burning Shores, as announced at the Game Awards 2022 with a teaser trailer.

- Aloy is “pursuing a sinister threat in the untamed wilds of Los Angeles, now a treacherous volcanic archipelago”

- It follows the end of the Horizon Forbidden West main game (hence Aloy flying on a Sunwing)

- Aloy is wearing Quen armor, an outfit option that was not available in HFW

- The poster and trailer feature the Hollywood sign, the Santa Monica pier, and the Capitol Records Building

- The poster also features a figure on the Sunwing with Aloy, uncertain if they are facing off against each other or preparing to fight the Horus, but the figure seems to be wearing Quen style armor and may even have a Quen Diviner Focus like Alva on their headband

- We can hope that Gildun the enthusiastic Oseram delver and Brin the oil drunk Banuk shaman will be in the DLC, given their datapoints in HFW mentioning both of them heading for the Burning Shores

- The DLC will release as a PS5 exclusive on April 19, 2023

(Just an aside, I love the duality of the Horizon DLC titles: Frozen Wilds and Burning Shores)

[countrymusiclover]

2 - Being A Mother In The West

Part 3

Love in the Wild West

@hcwthewestwaswcn Co author

Y/n's Pov

Y/N was sitting on the porch, holding a sleeping little girl who was named Eve as she rocked in the rocking chair while she watched the men working the ranch as she stood up when she saw a familiar face, and instantly walked down the stairs of the porch as she saw, the man that left her nearly two years ago as she held her little girl close to her and stood there as she waited for Spencer to approach her once he reached the porch.

Y/N had survived the west, and she was a mother on top of it all. Y/N had given birth to a beautiful baby girl during a harsh winter snowstorm that was particularly harsh on the ranch as she rubbed her little girl’s back as she was just waking up as she stood there while waiting patiently and silently as she wanted to see Spencer but part of her, was also angry and upset because he had left her and their daughter without any word but she knew that his Aunt Cara had constantly wrote to him begging him to come home and everything under the sun as she kissed Eve’s head gently.

Spencer’s POV

Climbing out of the wagon I felt weird being back home. Being in the war changed me more than I'd like to admit. Slinging my shotgun over my shoulder I saw Aunt Cara walking up to me clearly angry yet happy by the expression on her face. "You've got some nerve coming back here after two years, Spencer. I would have thought the first letter I sent you saying that girl was pregnant would have sent you running back here instantly!"

"I couldn't come back here after the war, aunt Cara. I - I'm not the same man." I tried to explain but she smacked my arm like I was a child.

"That doesn't matter. You consider that girl family don't you. Well she needed you and you weren't here. Instead you were gallivanting across Africa. For shame on you, Spencer!" She scolded me watching uncle Jacob ride up to us on his horse.

He tugs on the reins of the horse giving me a weak smile at least that he is happy I was home. “I’m heading into town. Spencer it’s good to see you but you better have a good explanation to that girl. She’s more a part of this family now than when she was five.” He rode off leaving me with her.

I turned my head seeing that aunt Cara was gone up to the house and it was Y/n who stood in front of me instead. She was holding an infant in her arms wearing a simple dress with some pants. Brown boots with her hair loose and a light tan cowgirl hat on her head. “You’ve got some explanation for me, Spencer!”

Y/n’s POV

Y/N held the little girl, her eyes trained on the cowboy who left her high and dry when he enlisted into the war “you left me behind, and i had to deliver our baby by myself” She says, clearly angry as she handed the little girl to Cara as a dizzy spell hits her as she grabbed the railing of the porch as she took a deep breath but she was struggling to breath before she collapsed on the ground as she had been sicker since she delivered Eve during a winter that was harsher than most as she was running a high fever as she was barely breathing as she felt Spencer catch her in his arms as she stirred and looked at him before she coughed into her elbow because she was sick and everything was hurting because she was fighting a deadly flu strain that was making her terribly sick and ill “Spence, take me to bed. I need to rest, it’s the only way that i will get better” She says, her voice hoarse and rough as she tried to breath on her own but failed miserably

Spencer’s POV

Y/n was ranting my head off right before I saw her body stumble so I rushed forward catching her bridal style in my arms. She gripped my jacket in her hands before I rushed her inside the house, not bothering to bother her with questions until she was laying in bed. "Y/n, what happened. Are you coming down with something?" She pulled the covers up to her chest rolling onto her side not saying a word for a second.

"If you hadn't left, maybe you would know!" She grumbled avoiding my gaze before her eyes fell closed and I decided to leave her to rest.

Closing the door behind me I nearly jumped in the air seeing Cara standing in the hallway holding the tiny infant in her arms giving her a bottle of milk. "She got her stubborn side from her daddy. You really messed up when you left."

"How was I supposed to know she would stay or get pregnant with my possible child? She is mine isn't she?" I asked, throwing my hands away from the sides.

Aunt Cara entered a bedroom laying the baby down right before slapping me across the cheek sternly. "You idiot boy. You know very well how children come into this world. What you seemed to forget is how to be a father like your uncle Jacob taught you!" She stomped off with me holding my burning cheek just staring at her. Closing my eyes gently I knew I needed to talk with my uncle.

Jacob's Pov

Jacob looked at his nephew, running a hand through his hair “Can you tell me what possessed you to be so dumb, knocking up that girl and leaving her here alone to raise that sweet baby girl.” He says sternly, he had raised Spencer to be an upstanding man and make sure that he took responsibility for whatever he did and whoever it was with. “You knew that she was alone, and yet you were gallivanting across africa. You need to stop doing foolish things, and get to know her and that baby. Do you understand me!” He raised his voice, he was angry and disappointed in his nephew but he also knew that Spencer was being foolish and had slept with another woman during his time in Africa. "You will make sure that her and that little girl of yours are well taken care of, especially after leaving them alone for two years!” He shouted loudly, waking Eve from her nap as he saw Y/N run out of the house with the crying girl as he ran a hand over his face.

Spencer’s POV

Walking into the barn I removed my hat not wanting to be having anymore arguments today. I felt bad about what I did to Y/n but I was called to go to the war. I couldn't just return home whenever I wanted. Footsteps approached from behind where I saw Jack dismount his horse. "You hurt her really badly. Do you know that? Everyone here had to deal with that and I realized that I care about her too."

"What do you want me to say, Jack? I'm sorry she got pregnant. I didn't think it would happen so easily and we only slept together one time." I turned around to face him holding my hat in my hands. "And if you like her, why aren't you with her now?"

He crossed his arms over his chest answering the question. "Because I found someone else that I loved much more. I am getting closer to marrying her. Plus I didn't think she would want anyone to get close to her after you."

"I'm getting out of here, Jack. I didn’t come home to be treated like this." I grumbled brushing past him until he grabbed my arm holding me back.

We locked a deep gaze as he spoke towards me. "Ain't a thing more sensitive than the heart of a gal. You did her wrong. You need to fix it or I'll make you regret it." I had never seen a side of him like this but he clearly meant business.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[deserts-edge]

Welcome to Desert's Edge

To summarize, Desert's Edge is a sci-fi western comedy initially following the journey of a space cowboy and his target

Happy Trails~

[thecryptidart1st]

*painstakingly goes through multiple files and extracts individual characters to make a new business card for Lightbox Expo*

[eridanidreams]

WIP Wednesday

Tagging: @bearlytolerant, @silurisanguine, @aro-pancake, @fangbangerghoul, @atonalginger, @aislingdmdt, @fshenkoescape, @ninjaofnaps, @lisa-and-shadow, @a-cosmic-elf, @thatsgoodsquishy0, @hockeydemon42, @fomagranfalloon @violenceandviolets, and @artemis-crimson

Y'all know the score, post if you've got 'em, and if not, just enjoy!

from stars through my fingers like grains of sand

The remains of lunch were scattered across the table. Knowing how even a short dogfight could take it out of someone, Sam had flat refused to let Cait cook. Wasn't like she hadn't already prepared a week's worth of meals already; all he had to do was reheat a few. "I'm telling you," Cora repeated patiently, "we all need secret identities. The sidekick always has a name related to the hero."

"So what are you," Sam teased. "Insectikid?"

"Young Mantis!" Cora countered.

"Too derivative," Sam chuckled. "The Spiderette? The Caterpillar?"

"Da-ad!" Cora gave him an exasperated look while Cait sat back quietly and smiled. "Mantises don't come from caterpillars."

"So what do they come from?" she asked logically.

"Nymphs," Cait offered.

Sam shook his head. "Nope, vetoing that one right now." His daughter was too young to be 'nymph' anything.

Cait tilted her head, thinking, while Sam and Cora tossed even more ridiculous names back and forth—and not just for her. "I don't need a name," he argued. "I'm not the sidekick."

"The fearless partner," Cait murmured, low and amused.

"Auuuugh! Dad, that's not how it works! If you're the partner of the Mantis, you can't be just you! You might blow her cover, or someone could use you to get to her!" Cora got up and was pacing back and forth, throwing her hands around in a twelve-year-old frenzy.

"If I might?" Cait was turning something over in her hands, and she had a wry smile on her face. "I think I can solve both these conundrums." She looked over at Cora. "For you? The Phasmid. Phasmids are related to mantises, but sneakier."

"Ooooh, I know what those are!" Cora enthused. "They're ambush predators that look like other things, like leaves and sticks and flowers!"

"Or in your case, a twelve-year-old girl," Sam teased. "Waiting to strike against any unwary library or bookstore that might pass her way."

"I LOVE IT!" Cora bounced over and gave Cait a hug. Cait, for her part, seemed to be getting used to Cora's adolescent enthusiasm, and returned it less awkwardly than usual. "So what's that?" Cora pointed at the thing Cait was fiddling with.

"Something I found in one of the abandoned bases we were exploring," Cait said, laying it on the table. It was a hand-written card; on yellowing paper, it read:

MERC FOR HIRE HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL SSCOM: 1957PDIN

Sam looked down at it, then back up at Cait, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously?" He'd been a fan of the classic vids as a kid, of course, had thrilled to the adventures of Josh Randall, Agents James West and Artemus Gordon, and—of course—Paladin.

She shrugged. "Aren't you always telling me to go big or go home? Besides, we've resurrected one legend today, why not two?"

Sam felt a slow smile cross his face. "I do cut a dashing figure in black…" He slapped the table in sudden decision. "All right. Let's do it. The Mantis and Paladin, partners in anti-crime."

"And me!" Cora piped up.

"And our fearless sidekick the Phasmid," he agreed. Drink packs were awkward for making a toast, but they managed to slosh them together anyway. "May all our victories be as sweet," Sam declared.

[thebadsansbandits]

Looks like he's not the same Error Blue once knew...

(Last/next two pages are going to be in color!!)

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[floralcavern]

Pstt.. hey.. wanna hear about my new story concept?

There are 4 main characters (none have names yet)

This is also a magic-western!!!!

We have our two of our MCs, male 1 and female 1. Male 1 is a magic user (meaning he is able to either control water, rock, nature, fire, or air) who grew up in the big city. He used his powers of rock and metal to his advantage when he would pickpocket people. One day he gets into a little trouble and stole from the Grim Reaper. Worst of all, he lost the object. So the Grim Reaper gives him 3 months to find the object. If he doesn’t, then he’ll take his soul.

Along the way, he meets female 1, a witch, meaning she channels the dark energy from the earth and uses it for prophecy, mind reading, and spells. She is a follower of the Grim Reaper, so upon learning Male 1 was in his debt, she thought it was funny so tagged along as his ‘friend’ but really just wanted to sabotage his plans. But she eventually realizes “Oh, shit, I actually don’t want this guy to die.”

Through their travels, they make many enemies, including their rivals. Male 2 was a magic user. But his small town hated magic users and tried to cleanse him. They somewhat succeeded traumatizing him to only being able to summon smoke and unable to control fire. He’s a gunslinging cowboy hitman accompanied by his partner Female 2, who is a Shapeshifter. She used to be a normal woman.. not counting the fact that she killed her husband and fed him to his hunting dogs. She was put to death by the town and the dark forces of the earth took her soul and turned her into a Shapeshifter. She can only turn into another person if she eats them and she can change sizes. Male 2 and Female 2 also want this item of the Grim Reaper. Why? I… haven’t figured that out yet.

And that’s pretty much all I have.

[givemewallywestorgivemedeath]

The first time Dick actually gets agitated in the og Teen Titans is when Roy shows up. He had been the picture of calm, cool and collected up until this point. The Titans' fearless leader. The one who made the plans, broke up their fights, kept a level head in dangerous situations and brought them back down to earth when they got too, uh, goofy.

And then Roy shows up and Dick is instantly riled up. It's on sight. The claws are out.

This is also, very notably, the first time Dick didn't break up a fight. Dick always breaks up their fights. So who stepped up?

Wally walks in-between them like "DISTRACTION! Focus on the letters! Look you little workaholics there are cases to solve!"

Which worked because of course it did, these two don't know how to function outside of cases. There are two of them so Dick decides that they should split up.

Donna and Roy silently walk off together with zero discussion because these two have been non-stop drooling over each other and Robin&KF get third wheeled with Garth.

[marietheran]

No, you don't get it: the most tragic thing to ever happen in any of Lucy Maud Montgomery's books is that Anne would have been around 90 by the time The Lord of the Rings was published - and she would have loved it so...

And she absolutely did live to read it (look, I get to make the rules; it's canon from now on) but imagine her having access to it as a teen! Then, she definitely wasn't there to read The Silmarillion and these books were just written for her, you know...

(sad noises)