✶- 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐞 … independent , highly selective , mutuals only , & +18 fandomless / multifandom original character 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐑 . est 2015 . loved by missa ( she / they , 26 ) . 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒐𝒇  being a light in the darkness , self compassion , overcoming people pleasing , defining who you are , & baked goods . 

hello there , & welcome to the bakery ! please check out my rules before interacting . if we are mutuals feel free to add me on discord : ✶ 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 ✶#5943 . currently i have verses for marvel / dc , doctor who, star trek : ds9 / tng , fantasy settings , paranormal / supernatural universes - but i am very crossover friendly . . . fill out my  interest tracker ? ic chats on wire @esperer . graphics ©

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connected multimuse :@autrcs !
multifandom multimuse :@bouquctt​ !
aesthetic sideblog :@glitterxfrosting !

quastari:

part of arthur expected hope to reject his idea. scoff at the idea that a high-society girl like her should DEVOLVE into the hobbies of an outlaw like him. but that was just a brief flash of a dreadful fantasy - one arthur had partly hoped would come true before remembering who hope baxter was.

& even if she said no …. well, arthur couldn’t quite rid his mind of the image of her holding his revolver with quivering hands. he’d looked over to her as soon as the shot rang out, half-expecting to see her body crumble to the dirt. instead, hope was quickly regaining control of the gun - eyes wide & chest heaving with FEARFUL adrenaline.

arthur would much rather see the latter, should this happen again.

❝ a'ight … well, good. you gotta be able to PROTECT yourself. we had a close call - next time, we might not be so lucky. ❞

his voice rumbles out - as hard & serious as looming thunder. all the girls in the gang knew how to shoot, at least. he’d taught tilly himself. it should be no different.

with a jerk of his head, arthur leads away from camp & the river toward a tall, thick oak in the middle of a clearing. he makes his way over, pulling out his hunting knife & a rag as he goes. in one quick move, he impales the rag against the trunk of the tree at head height.

❝ there’s your target, ❞ he says, unsheathing his revolver as he returns to hope’s side. ❝ now, a shot in the shoulder is a good start. but if your life’s in danger, you gotta give ‘em somethin’ more permanent. ❞

❝  i  wouldn't  exactly  call  us  the  𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒚  sort  ,  but  i  catch  your  meaning  .❞

she  follows  his  lead  ,  allowing  him  to  herd  her  toward  the  appropriate  spot  for  target  practice  .  watching  &  waiting  patiently  while  he  preps  ,  hands  remain  clasped  behind  her  back  -  almost  as  if  she's  still  a  little  uncertain  about  the  whole  thing  .  regardless  ,  he's  right  .  with  so  much  ground  left  to  cover  before  reaching  their  destination  ,  it  is  𝑰𝑵𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑻𝑨𝑩𝑳𝑬  they  will  run  into  more  trouble  in  some  form  .  it  would  be  nice  to  know  a  thing  or  two  ,  in  the  case  of  something  else  going  sideways  .  .  .  as  it  often  tends  to  do  when  hope  is  around  -  &  arthur's  equally  turbulent  life  just  about  triples  that  probability  .

somehow  ,  still  ,  she's  never  felt  𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒓  than  she  does  by  his  side  .

❝  okay  ,  ❞  she  nods  ,  eyes  catching  the  way  the  firearm  glints  in  the  light  of  the  steadily  setting  sun  .  clearly  𝑵𝑬𝑹𝑽𝑶𝑼𝑺  of  the  weapon  &  what  it  can  do  ,  she  keeps  being  drawn  back  to  it  .  as  much  as  she  tries  to  deny  it  ,  the  events  from  earlier  that  day  have  certainly  shaken  her  .

hope  had  never  thought  herself  capable  of  shooting  someone  until  the  heat  of  the  moment  necessitated  such  an  action  .  it  is  all  still  so  𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒉  in  her  mind  -  the  surprising  weight  of  the  gun  ,  the  kickback  nearly  causing  her  to  lose  her  grip  ,  watching  the  bullet  impact  her  target  ,  seeing  the  man  go  down  .  .  .  should  she  regret  it  more  ?

hope  keeps  to  herself  that  she  feels  as  though  it  all  should  bother  her  more  than  it  does  .  maybe  that  is  just  what  happens  when  someone  intends  to  kidnap  &  ransom  you  for  all  that  they  can  extort  from  your  husband-to-be  .  it's  hard  to  feel  all  that  𝑺𝑶𝑹𝑹𝒀  ,  which  disturbs  her  quite  a  bit  .  especially  when  arthur  points  out  that  what  she  had  done  was  merely  a  half-measure  .

swallowing  hard  ,  she  tries  to  shake  those  worries  off  &  focus  on  the  𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕  lesson  .  ❝  so  ,  how  am  i  supposed  to  hold  it  -  'cause  i'm  pretty  sure  i  was  doin'  it  all  wrong  .  .  .  ❞

mommyminotaur:

[Seducing You] I made pasta.

i feel like this would happen at hope’s bakery …

griefcode:

isadora focused on the delicate task of stitching up hope’s side,  her hands steady despite the tension in the room.  the woman hadn’t said a word since she arrived,  her body trembling slightly with each press of the needle,  but isadora had learned to read the signs — hope was strong,  the silence more of a defense mechanism than a sign of weakness.  she couldn’t blame her.  ❝you’re lucky you’re not bleeding out, ❞ isadora muttered,  her voice low  &  calm,  almost like a soothing chant.  she wiped away the blood with a practiced hand,  feeling the weight of the moment settle in her chest.  the hollow was no place for soft words,  but there was a certain quiet comfort in this:  the way she could heal,  the way she could help,  even when everything else around them was chaos. 

@espercr is injured!

she  let  loose  a  breathy  snort  in  response  to  that  word  -  lucky  .  a  wince  quickly  followed  ,  even  the  slightest  bit  of  laughter  causing  her  injuries  to  throb  in  objection  .  ❝  glad  to  hear  it  ,  ❞  she  replied  ,  although  the  words  came  out  much  more  𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄  than  she'd  intended  .  as  the  other  woman  began  the  next  stitch  hope's  bright  gaze  squeezed  shut  once  more  ,  exhaling  a  slow  shaky  breath  as  she  tracked  the  repetitive  sensation  .  if  she  could  get  through  that initial  sting  ,  then  she  knew  there  would  be  another  ,  &  then  the  tightening  of  the  suture  before  starting  the  process  again  .  this  was  far  from  her  first  time  receiving  stitches  ,  &  there  was  an  odd  𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑼𝑨𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑪  nature  to  the  pain  -  knowing  it  would  be  the  first  step  on  the  road  to  healing  .  plus  ,  she  probably  deserved  it  anyway  ,  it  was  her  own  damn  fault  she'd  gotten  grazed  .  ❝  &  thank  you  for  this  ,  ❞  she  added  ,  offering  a  tight  but  genuine  smile  ,  ❝  sure  beats  doing  it  myself  .  ❞

slayer-barbie:

SEXANDTHECITY(1998-2004)

2.13 | “Games People Play”

quastari:

arthur wanted to stay in the room all night. it wasn’t all too smart to go gallivanting around town - sure, they’ve had a quiet couple days. made good time without any bullets flying their way. perhaps that’s what made arthur COMPLACENT. easy to be convinced for a drink or two when they outta stay hidden away.

hope baxter may have had the ability to sweet-talk him all the way to the saloon, but she couldn’t stop himself from keeping an eye on the doors. or mad-dogging everyone who walked a little too close to their table. or keeping hope tucked away between himself and the wall.

the whiskey bites, & arthur is careful not to INDULGE too much - out of the ordinary but necessary. a few uneventful days is all it takes for anybody’s guard to drop.

her question prevents him from taking another sip. his brows pinch together, nose scrunching a bit as arthur considers the question. ❝ different how ? ❞

but he’s got an inkling on what hope means. it’s a sentiment he considered once upon a time - when he was a young man being pulled two different ways. wondering what could change in his life that would allow him to have everything and give up nothing.

it was a fool’s GAME to wish. nothing never came of it.

hope  completely  understood  his  hesitance  when  she'd  requested  this  small  reprieve ,  she  even  assured  him  that  she  knows  this  is  stupid  .  .  .  but  she  was  losing  her  mind  sitting  in  𝑺𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬  ,  crammed  into  that  tiny  room  with  him  .  unbeknownst  to  arthur  ,  this  was  actually  one  of  the  less  risky  options  for  stimulation  her  wandering  mind  had  concocted  .  the  rest  ?  well  ,  they  weren't  exactly  decent  thoughts  -  &  would  only  serve  to  complicate  things  further  . 

the  way  he's  caged  her  into  this  corner  of  the  establishment  all  by  their  lonesome  is causing  something  new&warm  to  stir  within  her,  certainly  not  helping  her  with  fighting  these  devilish  thoughts.  all  her  life  she's  been  warned  of  this  exact  feeling,  to  never  let  a  man  overrule  her  devotion  to  the  lord  above   -  to  take  advantage  of  her  𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆  .  she'd  always  secretly  scoffed  at  the  notion  ,  that  her  faith  could  be  so  shakable  .

for  the  first  time  ,  she's  beginning  to  understand  the  𝑾𝑬𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻  of  their  cautionary  sermons  . 

but  arthur  …  he  isn't  at  all  like  the  men  she's  been  taught  to  be  wary  of  .  well  ,  maybe  he  is  ,  sometimes  -  but  that's  notall  there  is  to  him  .  the  outlaw  has  never  once  made  her  feel  uncomfortable  or  pressure  her  in  any  way  .  he's  always  kept  a  respectable  distance  ,  even  if  she  quietly  𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔  he  wouldn’t  .  all  he's  ever  done  is  protect  her  ,  scaring  off  any  wasted  degenerate  that  so  much  as  looked  at  her  in  a  way  he  didn't  like  .  she's  been  protected  like  a  precious  jewel  all  of  her  life  ,  but  not  like  this  .  sure,  he's  being  well  paid  for  the  service  ,  very  well  paid  -  but  hope  is  sure  there's  something  else  contributing  to  his  steadfast  safeguarding  of  her  .  .  .

or  maybe  she's  just  𝑰𝑴𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮  things  she’d  like  to  be  true  .  it's  hard  to  say  with  how  little  he  gives  away  behind  that  ruggedly  handsome  countenance. 

her  gaze  drifts  past  his  broad  shoulder,  watching  the  bar's  other  inhabitants  with  the  𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓  of  a  girl  long  sheltered  from  the  world  .  this  is  just  about  the  first  saloon  she's  ever  been  inside  of  &  while  it's  exactly  the  sort  of  den  of  debauchery  she's  been  told  it  would  be  ,  similarly  to  her  traveling  companion  ,  there's  more  to  it  than  that  .

men  are  laughing  ,  smacking  each  other  on  the  back  in  camaraderie  &  singing  𝑩𝑶𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑺𝑳𝒀  along  to  a  slightly  out  of  tempo  piano  accompaniment  .  there  are  couples  scattered  about  too  ,  speaking  in  hushed  tones  -  smiling  ,  blushing  ,  &  exchanging  tentative  touches  .  in  fact  ,  the  two  of  them  probably  read  to  the  rest  of  the  room  as  exactly  that  :  a  man  &  a  woman  ,  just  getting  to  know  each  other  -  still  in  that shy  tentative  talking  stage  .

there's  a  𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌  there  ,  each  of  them  too  burdened  by  their  respective  albatrosses  ,  suffocating  them  of  the  oxygen  it  would  take  to  set  it  ablaze  .

❝  i  dunno  .  .  .  ❞  teeth  sink  into  her  bottom  lip  ,  sky  blue  gaze  flickering  back  to  meet  his  once  more  .  ❝  different  like  ,  having  𝑪𝑯𝑶𝑰𝑪𝑬𝑺  i  guess  .  getting  to  decide  who  you  want  to  be  ,  not  just  what  people  want  from  you  .  .  .  like  that  .  ❞  she  sets  down  her  empty  glass  ,  running  a  dainty  finger  idly  around  the  rim  .  ❝  any  idea  what  you'd  do  ?❞

leneemusing:

for muses that are getting to know each other

• ❝ what’s your favorite color and why? ❞
• ❝ can i come with you? ❞
• ❝ you have a nice smile, has anyone ever told you that before? ❞
• ❝ how do you take your coffee? ❞
• ❝ sorry, what was your name again? ❞
• ❝ it just occurred to me i never asked you what your last name is. ❞
• ❝ actually we’ve met before. ❞
• ❝ i’ve heard a few things about you. ❞
• ❝ care to join me? ❞
• ❝ i’m not really sure why i trust you. ❞
• ❝ i don’t usually talk this much, it just feels easy to say stuff when you’re listening. ❞
• ❝ i know we don’t know each other that well but if you wanna talk about it… ❞
• ❝ could you help me with something? ❞
• ❝ do you like it here? ❞
• ❝ are you new around here? ❞
• ❝ you can ask me anything you want. i promise i’ll answer truthfully except the things i feel like lying about. ❞
• ❝ i don’t mean to be too forward, you just seem like you could use a friend right now. ❞
• ❝ you can come with me. i mean if you don’t have anyone waiting for you. ❞
• ❝ we’re friends now. you can ask me for help. ❞
• ❝ do you like this music? i can change it. ❞
• ❝ what are your favorite snacks? ❞
• ❝ really? i wouldn’t have guessed that about you. ❞
• ❝ do you mind if i ask about it? ❞

ACTIONS:

• VISIT: for sender to go to receiver’s home for the first time
• VISITED: for receiver to go to sender’s home for the first time
• CRYING: for sender to see receiver cry for the first time
• CRIED: for receiver to see sender cry for the first time
• BEGIN: sender and receiver are on their first date together
• TRIP: our muses go on a group trip but end up stuck together, away from the rest of their friends.
• SITUATION: our muses are acquainted because one of them is their friend’s roommate. muse a shows up when their friend isn’t there and ends up hanging out with muse b one on one.
• GO: our muses go to a zoo or theme park together and get lost.
• INVITE: sender cooks for receiver for the first time
• INVITED: receiver cooks for sender for the first time
• TOGETHER: our muses spend the night for the first time
• TRY: our muses hooked up and are hanging out the next day
• COMFORT: sender is going through a break up and receiver offers to cheer them up
• COMFORTED: receiver is going through a break up and sender offers to cheer them up
• OFFER: sender gives receiver a ride to the airport/picks them up
• OFERED: receiver gives sender a ride to the airport/picks them up
• AID: sender helps receiver redecorate
• AIDING: receiver helps sender redecorate

espercr:

𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 - go to pinterest & type in ❝ your muse’s name + core aesthetic ❞ & create a moodboard .

espercr:

which randomly generated headcanon is MOST accurate ?

hope forgets to eat sometimes.

hope cries while watching disney movies.

hope is a cry baby

hope has incredible spice tolerance

hope is in your house

hope wakes up on november 1st and starts decorating for christmas.

hope is constantly singing for no reason.

the thing is none of these are wrong …

this is still soooooo funny & for the record i picked constantly singing bc yes she is let the woman stim

espercr:

𝑯𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 …

private , indie , & selective original character 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐑 ! 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒚 𝒐𝒇 being a light in the darkness , self compassion , overcoming people pleasing , defining who you are , & baked goods .

- 𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒂 ( she / they , 26 )