Perfect storm of varying circumstances. So it was a few key parts, mixed with a lot of uncertainty and random chance, and even then, rare that it occurred at all.
Arthur nodded at the question, "Killed a lot of people in my time. Ain't killed folk for the pleasure of it though. Maybe Agent Milton for all the pain and grief he caused us and countless others, there were times I wanted little more than to put my hands around his throat, but I weren't the one who killed him, Abigail did. Micah, him I wanted dead too for the same reasons, though he walked away from that fight."
He took a crispy sweet potato and bit into it. It was hot and delicious.
"I don't know. I reckon I might have had I not gotten sick and had we not lost so many folk. If Micah hadn't had Dutch's ear after Hosea was killed, maybe I'd still be with him." he ate a moment and shook his head, "Too many maybes and what ifs. I know the past can't be changed, ain't never tried to. But least I can do is make sure we didn't leave anythin' behind to hurt more folk. Hence all the questions about them mononokes."
Arthur had another potato, smiled, and gave the medicine seller's temple a greasy kiss. "Tastes real good darlin'"
The plural at the end of 'mononoke' gets a soft chuckle.
"The past is immutable, but it is due some reflection," he said around a mouthful of onion, leaning into the kiss. One pale hand comes up to brush a few crumbs from Arthur's beard before cupping his cheek.
"One must simply be wary of entrapping themselves in a cycle of regret."
Arthur nodded in agreement. He was doing his hardest to try and not regret the things he'd done. They were past him, and the gang was months behind with no way to change how things ended.
He did feel much better since the mountain. Not health-wise, he'd long since recovered from his brush with death. But, in his head. Marston and his family had gotten away. Charles was likely still helping the Wapiti somewhere north, and Tilly was safe too. The people he could save, were saved.
So now it was best to focus on himself. Revenge was not in his book, he'd not go hunting for Micah or Dutch. He'd stay with the medicine seller, long as he wanted him around.
"No, I'm lookin' ahead more these days" he smiled affectionately at him.
"As am I," he mused with a slight upturn to the corners of his mouth. Leaning his head on Arthur's shoulder, his hand wandered delicately up his back.
"I have never really considered such things before. They always seemed far out of reach."
And he wouldn't squander an opportunity to at least try. He doubted either of them were the settling down sorts; the world was too big, too interesting for their feet to stay put long. But it would be nice to have company on the long and winding roads; to traverse the wilder places of the world with someone who appreciated such things.
In the past, Arthur might have tensed or scooted away from the affection. Now, he leaned into it, wrapped a strong arm around the other's slight frame.
"We can go anywhere you wanna darlin'" he said quietly.
He'd ride with him for a long time.
"So, we gonna go back and deal with that mononoke or you gonna leave it be?" he asked, taking another fried something or other.
He leaned with him, closing his eyes as his hair was played with a little.
Arthur loved it when the medicine seller just lightly touched him like this. The simple contact, the warmth of his fingers through his clothes or buried in his hair. Sometimes led to more intimate fun. But other times, they just were. Holding and touching one another. unable to do so in public but, it was okay, he was with him, not them.
"In the mornin'? Okay. Figured you wanted to do it at night so fewer people would be around." he said, withdrawing to have one more potato and finish his water.
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Arthur nodded at the question, "Killed a lot of people in my time. Ain't killed folk for the pleasure of it though. Maybe Agent Milton for all the pain and grief he caused us and countless others, there were times I wanted little more than to put my hands around his throat, but I weren't the one who killed him, Abigail did. Micah, him I wanted dead too for the same reasons, though he walked away from that fight."
He took a crispy sweet potato and bit into it. It was hot and delicious.
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He had a few bites of food before continuing.
"Else you would have followed Dutch down his spiral of madness as long as his plans provided foes to fell."
The Medicine Seller had met many monsters in his time. Arthur was not among them.
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Arthur had another potato, smiled, and gave the medicine seller's temple a greasy kiss. "Tastes real good darlin'"
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"The past is immutable, but it is due some reflection," he said around a mouthful of onion, leaning into the kiss. One pale hand comes up to brush a few crumbs from Arthur's beard before cupping his cheek.
"One must simply be wary of entrapping themselves in a cycle of regret."
no subject
He did feel much better since the mountain. Not health-wise, he'd long since recovered from his brush with death. But, in his head. Marston and his family had gotten away. Charles was likely still helping the Wapiti somewhere north, and Tilly was safe too. The people he could save, were saved.
So now it was best to focus on himself. Revenge was not in his book, he'd not go hunting for Micah or Dutch. He'd stay with the medicine seller, long as he wanted him around.
"No, I'm lookin' ahead more these days" he smiled affectionately at him.
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"I have never really considered such things before. They always seemed far out of reach."
And he wouldn't squander an opportunity to at least try. He doubted either of them were the settling down sorts; the world was too big, too interesting for their feet to stay put long. But it would be nice to have company on the long and winding roads; to traverse the wilder places of the world with someone who appreciated such things.
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"We can go anywhere you wanna darlin'" he said quietly.
He'd ride with him for a long time.
"So, we gonna go back and deal with that mononoke or you gonna leave it be?" he asked, taking another fried something or other.
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"Likewise, we can go wherever you please as well. I imagine with your newfound freedom, there are many places."
He made a soft, contented sound as he leaned into the warmth of the other man, fingers wandering up his back to run through his hair.
"But there is no rush. I will see to the mononoke in the morning."
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Arthur loved it when the medicine seller just lightly touched him like this. The simple contact, the warmth of his fingers through his clothes or buried in his hair. Sometimes led to more intimate fun. But other times, they just were. Holding and touching one another. unable to do so in public but, it was okay, he was with him, not them.
"In the mornin'? Okay. Figured you wanted to do it at night so fewer people would be around." he said, withdrawing to have one more potato and finish his water.