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Chapter 11 Pt.I
"Polite Society, Valentine Style"

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"Hey, Tulip, wake up will ya?"

Tulip stirred, grumbling and sat up from her bed. She immediately felt tired, wanting to fall back asleep, but she didn't make another sound of complaint. Tulip yawned while Willow handed her a cup, her nose catching a whiff of the coffee.

They both sat still on the bed, the blonde sighing. "It ain't hard to figure things out, ya do know that, right?"

Tulip turned her head, wiping her eyelids. "Uh-huh. I know." She took a sip.

Willow handed her the journal, Tulip had regretted writing down her personal worries. Trying to hide it, yet here it is, sitting on her lap, the book which Willow easily saw and read. Both looked at each other, "Why don't you walk around for a bit, yeah? I'll get 'em horses ready, maybe... you should go an' see Hosea first. But, you don't have to."

Willow smiled and Tulip had taken her smile gratefully, at least she gets to see a nice and joyous face to brighten her days.

Standing up, Willow chuckled, flinging and slapping the small pouch at Tulip's face, her eyes pried wide open in surprise. "Wake up! good Lord." She snickered. "Now it's yer turn to go wash yer mouth!" She said playfully, Tulip shook her head in amusement, her hands held up as if she surrendered.

Tulip did as she said, watching Reverend Swanson already drunk and wandering around, blabbering a song in gibberish. Her and Micah shared a deadly look, to which he laughed at. The bruise from before had already almost healed, one wrong word or action, and Tulip will gladly give him another as an excuse. She heard most of the men in camp cheer the day after she had punched him, laughing at how a woman gave a man a beating.

Tulip left her trusty Lancaster (or Winchester) next to their quarters, she wouldn't need the rifle. Tulip had hoped that she wouldn't need to pull out her revolver if things got too ugly anyway.

Grimshaw, surprisingly, wasn't yelling at the moment, they both gave each other a kind wave as she was cleaning a wooden table used for poker sometimes. If it wasn't Tulip who'd sometimes kick the lazy drunks around to get up and do some work, it would be Susan Grimshaw intimidating them. Willow was talking with John and Abigail's son, Jack. The kid was a bit sick back up in Ambarino, but he seems to be much better now.

Still sipping the hot drink, Tulip stopped in her footsteps upon noticing that she was about to go to Hosea. She glanced at her cup, making the liquid swirve within the walls of the mug. Tulip saw herself on the reflection, how exhausted she looked and how her eyes were the windows of her weak self. Guessed that these past few days, she wasn't sleeping very well.

Lifting her head back up, Tulip strolled over. "Hi."

Both she and him were overlooking the Heartlands, vivid and veridian, completely filled with robust wildlife. Hosea glanced over his shoulder, one arm crossed and the other holding his coffee as Tulip walked and stood by his side. "Morning, Tulip." He wore a green coat with fur in it.

She grinned, "Thugh coffee?"

Hosea nodded taking a sip. "Ah, the coffee's good, I needed it."

Tulip yawned, "We all."

They both chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose we all do need it after the snow." He sat on top of a flat rock, "Why don't you have a seat? I'm sure you'd enjoy the view after so long."

"Uh-huh." Even though Tulip knew what was going to come next, she still willingly listened, never mad at Hosea. She couldn't find any sort of reason to be. "Very."

The stone's gray surface was cool and smooth, they both gazed over the land, full of lakes, trees, hills, openings, and even mountains. Just about everything. It was growing monstrously cold this year, however, even the snow from the West Grizzlies trickled down from Ambarino and into New Handover.

Tulip exhaled slowly, and the question came, hitting her. "I'm sure you know, but I still have yet to ask you, dear. Ever since Blackwater, Jen, and your trip with Arthur few weeks ago, you've been furiously writing in that journal of yours."

She sighed. "Yeah... Too easygh?" Tulip chuckled dryly.

"It's certainly not very hard to notice, especially with you two gals being with us for years. You've been out quite a lot." She scoffed at herself and shook her head. "The blockhead told me that you might've had something to talk to me about." Tulip snickered at Arthur's nickname ever since breaking off the wagon wheel.

She had the journal in her hand, caressing the worn and wrinkles in the leather cover. Tulip opened the page where the pencil was last tucked in, unlike her interaction with Arthur, she doesn't know why she's more readily to address a personal issue of hers. Tulip had even brought out her book for Hosea to see. But remembering the last sentence she wrote, she felt even more embarrassed to share, really.

Tulip gave him the book, he gently took it, knowing how she was if you were to accidentally smudge the eye-catching artwork crafted by such a masterful hand, much like Arthur's skills. Even though she persists on stating that it was terrible when comparing it to his, others who've seen it would never understand why artists like her would constantly put themselves down. Perhaps it's because viewers only see the overall, big picture?

Quickly scanning over each word, he chuckled. It made Tulip groan in complete timidity, cursing at herself rapidly. "A strong, fine lady such as yourself shouldn't belittle themselves like that."

She didn't say anything, or she couldn't say much, really. Tulip was flustered, it's as if a kid was trying to hide themselves from embarrassment, only because they were talking about their problems with their father. "Ya know me..." Tulip needed to address the biggest problem, she was going pull out the piece of map, but she stopped herself. "Shoulgh I... jus' forgegh?"

Hosea placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, prompting her to turn her head, because she was fixated on the ground. "You've been too focused on your troubles more so than you should've, it ain't difficult to realize that you've been too eager buryin' and thinkin' about those who were once with us."

Tulip sighed, not knowing what to say. She made quick signs, "Guess I'm just very worried...and guilty."

He chuckled. "Well, it's good that you care about the gang just as much as I do." Tulip couldn't help but smile. "You should look at the world around you more." He gestured his hand holding the cup towards the Heartlands stretching out to the horizon, the mountains meeting the skies and the sun. "Think of what we could do now for the better of this family, not what we could have done."

They both finished their drink, "Yeah." She nodded, chuckling and taking in Hosea's wise words.

"Haha, it's enjoyable as always to have a moment to talk with you." They both stood up, Tulip tipped her hat. "Well, Tulip, have a good day. Arthur's probably near Mr. Pearson's with the wagons."

While strolling along the ledge, she saw Mrs. Adler. Suddenly, Tulip had remembered about Arthur's words, she could bring Alder along. She waved at her, "Hi." The blonde woman said with a scratchy voice.

Tulip came over, urging her to walk with her. "C'mon."

She was confused as she went by her side, "Why?"

Tulip pointed to one of the wagons at the outskirts of the camp.

"You want me to come with?"

She nodded.

Both her and Mrs. Adler walked over around the back of the chuckwagon, "H- H- Hey, uh, Miss?" Tulip turned her head, approaching the man tied to the tree. "Y- you seem like a kind woman..."

Mrs. Adler glared at the man tied up by ropes, she scoffed.

"Heheh, well, that's where yer wrong. O'Driscoll." Unlike Tulip, Arthur was already walking to Kieran with slight, intimidating malice. Even his voice dripped with hate, she honestly felt a little bad. "You're begging the wrong lady."

"Sh- she don't seem so bad..."

She questioned, "Ya know, why ain't you cuttin' up vegetables or cleanin' up the camp like the rest of the ladies?"

Arthur chuckled, striking a match at the bottom of his boot and lighting up a cigarette tucked between his lips. "Because..." He smoked. "Tulip's no saint, she doesn't just kill. Any poor feller who'd mess with her would wish he'd taken the bullet in the back of his skull." Kieran slumped, he was forced to stand with his hands tied behind his back. "Mrs. Alder, Tulip had proven herself long ago to take on them men's jobs. You're looking at one of the oldest, most loyal members of this gang."

"Mm-hm." She adjusted her gunbelt, her fingers tracing the top of it and the buckle.

"P-please, at least somethin' to eat?..." Kieran begged.

Arthur chuckled in amusement, "Tulip has half a tongue, she may be quiet, but she ain't no idiot to listen to the likes of you, O'Driscoll." With that, he walked around and Tulip followed, leaving him.

She heard him mumble, "I ain't no O'Dricsoll..."

"Ehem." She called Willow.

"Whatcha need?" Tulip made a few signs, Mrs. Adler was watching in curiosity how she communicated. "Alrighty, Mrs. Adler? Come with me, we're gon' get this lil' wagon ready."

"Okay, and it's Sadie Adler." Both smiled at each other, "You can jus' call me Sadie."

Tulip walked around the other wagon with Arthur, unsurprised to see a sleeping Uncle with a gray hat of his hanging over the top half of his face.

"Hey!" Uncle stirred in astonishment, "Careful not to work yourself to death there, Uncle."

Tulip snickered internally at the exchange, she could even see Arthur smirking in slight amusement.

"I was thinking." He stood, his breath always having a scent of heavy liquor. Uncle reeked of booze anyway.

"Does it pay well?" Arthur asked.

He adjusted his hat, Tulip was leaning on a rock, her arm crossed. "Eventually."

He nodded, slapping his rough hand on Uncle's back. "So, while the rest of us are busy..." He began, the two walking over a bit. "Stealin', killin', and lyin'... Fightin' to try and survive, you get to think all day." He pointed.

Uncle replied, "It's a strange world we live in, Arthur Morgan."

He shook his head. "Do ya wanna head into town...see if we can find anything out?"

"Sure, I got errands to run."

"Great." He smirked, pointed ahead of the small carriage. "Go check the horses are ready."

Uncle shook his head and grumbled, Tulip then chuckled from her spot. She just tipped her hat and Uncle continued to mumble something incoherent under his breath. "That's how he treats his old friend, Miss Tulip. Poor me, I've got back problems you see..." She rolled her eyes as Uncle was going to strap the horses in.

"If you're gonna take the old man outta town..." Tulip and Arthur turned to see the girls. "Could ya takes us too?" Karen asked with her sweet voice.

He continued to smoke, "Why, what you got planned?"

"Nothin'." The two other women, Mary-Beth and Tilly followed her behind. "We'll find something for y'all to do...we always do."

Mary-Beth spoke up and Tulip had her brow raised in curiosity where a particular commanding woman was, "We're bored out of our minds, been cooped up here for two weeks now. Karen's about ready to murder Grimshaw."

"Well, can Miss Grimshaw spare you?" He replied, taking out the cigarette from his mouth. His other hand was on his belt, Willow tapped Tulip on the shoulder and they both nodded. The blondie went on the other wagon as Tulip watched the fun little exchange in front of her.

Karen huffed and the other girls had a hand on their hips, Tulip wanted to snicker. " 'Can Miss Grimshaw spare you?' " Miss Jones repeated. "What's happen to ya, Arthur? Three young healthy women want you to take 'em robbing..." She gestured to them, who posed with mischievous smiles. "You're worried about house chores?"

Arthur shifted his hat downwards and briefly looked at Tulip, she stood there with a slight smirk, shrugging.

"Let's gooo!"

He grinned, "Fair enough. You got me, c'mon then." In the inside, he just hoped Susan wouldn't come and beat his ass for this.

The ladies cheered, Tulip shook her head. Making quick little signs, "It's a party."

"It sure is." Arthur laughed a little.

Willow couldn't help but make a remark, "Have fun driving with Uncle next to ya!" He sighed at that, throwing and crushing the cigarette.

One of them stated, "I can't believe we're going to see civilization...feels like weeks since we did!" A series of giggles and giddiness filled the air, Tulip went to the other one with Willow and Sadie.

Uncle replied, "Yeah, Valentine...the very embodiment of civilization. You ladies are gonna love it."

Arthur gripped the reins, he knew they were going to make the ride much more enjoyable and fun. "Okay then, let's go."

"Alright, out to the trees then take a left."

"I know what I'm doin', Uncle. You ain't the one drivin'."

Tulip waited for Arthur to go ahead, taking the front, then, she whipped the leathery reins. "You sure it's alright to take me?" Sadie asked.

Willow piped up, "Yeah, the more the merrier! We're takin' ya out to get some fresh air." Sadie scoffed at that. "Aw, c'mon, jus' have some fun alright?"

"Uh-huh." Tulip agreed, it was the entire reason why she wanted Mrs. Adler to tag along.

"Oh sure, fine, I could at least buy a few things for myself..."

"And I need to look 'round for a lil' comic book for Jack." Willow grinned.

The two carriages were lead out of the camp, heading to Valentine while the wheels made deep ruts within the dirt and muddy roads. It's another fine morning with an even better trip to Valentine than before, at least Tulip hopes so.

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A/N : Here we goo! Next main mission, Hosea and Tulip wholesome interaction (ig), and bringing Sadie along. I hope that doesn't make ya guys mad, the poor woman lost everything and her husband back in the snow.
Thanks so much, personally, about the votes and comments, both here and on fanfiction website. With so many branching paths, characters, etc, I'm extremely doubtful of myself. But enough of that, anyway, when the story stated about the coldest year, I based it off of the Great Blizzard in 1898-1899.

(Who would hate Hosea and be mad at him? Even Tulip admits that she can't!)

Fun fact :
"Tulip's no saint, she doesn't just kill. Any poor feller who'd mess with her would wish he'd taken the bullet in the back of his skull."
Before I began even planning the story, this was Tulip's quote, not her saying it obviously, but if I made a wallpaper, it would be that and it'd be set up just like this image below.

Published : Jan.4, 2019 (damn why do I put Dec. or 2018?!?! I guess it just feels like it still is lol).

Edit : Jan.4, 2019

Added in a great shot where Arthur and Mary-Beth are talking, I couldn't help it. I didn't take the shot btw lol. It's on the prev chapter.

Fixed some grammar stuff, added a little detail where Tulip left her rifle behind. A mistake on my part, a Lancaster Repeater in RDR2 is actually the Winchester. Forgot. I apologize.