milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Miss Katherine is outside the bar today, collecting leaves. She has never seen color like this before, and she imagines her children would get a thrill out of the fall foliage if she brings a few leaves back with her to her schoolhouse.

Whenever she's able to get back to her schoolhouse, that is.

She's strolling leisurely, a light wool shawl around her shoulders. There is a cool breeze, but the sun is warm, and every now and again you can see her tip her chin into the warm light, drawing in a deep breath, and letting the faintest of smiles grace her sad face.

Distractions are welcome.

[tiny!tag: Miss Katherine Barlow, The Russian Astronaut (Esfir), Arnold, Dan Evans]

ooc: If you can read this... this is still open for new tags. XD

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Dan looks from the sky to her.

"William saw me git killed...and it ain't been more than a week since, back there. I don't know if they'd be ones to appreciate a message from beyond, of sorts, you know?"

Her eyes widen in alarm.

"Your oldest boy?" she asks, refreshing her memory.

There's a flash in her mind's eye, and she can see, clear as day, Tom, Walter, and Samuel coming up over the ridge, her daddy limp in their arms.

There was so much blood...

She blinks, returning to the present, but when her eyes refocus, they've fallen from his face to the upturned collar of his jacket.

"I'm... I'm so sorry."

"I'm so sorry he had to see that."

Dan nods.

"I told him to stay on the ranch," he says, wry tone in his voice. "But he set out a few days after and followed us while we were takin' Wade to Contention, caught up with us. When I went to walk him to the station to meet the train, I told him to stay at the hotel."

A pause.

"Seems he ain't one for listenin' to orders," he adds, almost to himself. "He didn't. He's a good boy, just...persistent."

She can understand that. Learning the hard way seems to come natural to Barlows.

"Perhaps he just didn't want to have to leave you?" she offers.

And then you left him, and Mark, and Alice.

"I reckon that was the case."

And the hero-worship that his oldest had for Ben Wade.

The thought still makes her sick.

"My daddy died, too, not too long past," she says quietly, looking out toward the treeline ahead of her, instead of meeting Dan's eyes. "He was killed.

"Havin' to go through that... It's something you wish you could spare others from having to experience."

So she's truly, honestly, very sorry.

"I'm very sorry t'hear that, Miss Barlow," Dan replies, as he turns his own gaze to the treeline so that she won't feel like she has to look at him.

The leaves are drifting down, cartwheeling in the breeze before they fall.

"He's a good boy," he adds, after a moment. "They'll be alright."

She nods. "I'm sure they will."

She turns to him and smiles, genuinely. Dan is a good man; she can't imagine he'd raise anything less than more good men.

She looks at him seriously, then.

"Just as long as Ben doesn't get too comfy, hanging 'round them boys."

Oh hai, negative influence what?

"I think Ben knows not to hang 'round too often," he says.

As Dan has made it Very Clear that so help Ben Wade if he gets too comfortable around his boys or his Alice.

He trusts Ben.

Who knows how that will turn out...

Oh, she's sure he knows.

Let's just hope he actually does.

"Good," she chuckles lightly, shaking her head.

The breeze is cool, and she shrugs her shawl around her shoulders a little tighter.

"I reckon I might have some assistance if I need someone t'give him a talkin' to, though?"

Somehow Dan suspects Ben might listen to Miss Barlow a bit more than he might listen to him.

She smiles - perhaps a bit too brightly, given the subject.

"If ever you need to call on me, Dan, I'm here. And you can be sure to let Ben know that, next time you see him," she winks.

Because she's certain there's just something about a five-foot-one-inch, well-mannered, dainty little schoolteacher, that strikes fear into the hearts of hardened outlaws the ~~world~~ bar over.

"I will do that," he says, with a polite nod of his head. "Thank you very much, Miss Barlow."

Never hurts to have backup.

"It's honestly not a burden," she teases, good-naturedly.

A soft breeze cards through her hair.

"Would you care to join me inside for a cup of tea, or perhaps coffee?" she offers. "It's getting a bit cool out here. And I was thinking, perhaps, you could tell me more about Tombstone?"

She looks hopeful.

Excited.

"Of course," he agrees. "I would like that."

He'll be buying, of course. Dan stands carefully from the bench and straightens his coat, before he offers her a hand up. Just because he's no longer among the living doesn't mean he's not still a gentleman.

She smiles appreciatively, delicately placing her hand in his open palm to let him play the part of the gentleman and help her up.

(Even if she could have managed just fine all on her own.)

((Though, she'll argue a bit over who buys those drinks in the end.))

Dan at least, doesn't offer his arm (having a bad leg makes that just a little bit difficult) though he would if it looked like she wanted (or expected) him to.

"Do you prefer tea or coffee, yourself?"

Ranchers are stubborn folk. This could get interesting.

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