Can the sun find its match in
anything but the moon? Can
the heavens lose interest in the
earth? Can death exist without
life?

Rachel Alexander,
Destroyer of Light
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best read;    second to smallest size 
dark mode    times new roman 

The little girl's eyes glittered with wonderment. 
As if the stars in the sky were reflecting back, she beamed at her mamma. 
She giggled with excitement; a sweet sound that echoed throughout the small, destitute home, a distraction from their dwindling hope. Stories were her escape. Her passion. She leaned into her mamma's arms as she rumbled with a story of a titan. He stole fire from the gods and gave it to the humans who needed it more. He was punished. Although he'd done something kind, with good intentions, he committed a grievance. The story ended with a  punishment from the father of gods. One that sent the man into an endless loop of pain and suffering. 

Her mamma always smiled before the time she finished; telling her that she was unlike any girl she ever met. Her mamma's twist on the tale was that Prometheus had used the last bit of his gift to create a beautiful girl. One that was sent to be a spirit never contained. A gift that couldn't be stolen away by Zeus or any of the gods/titans. Her daughter, a force of fire and kindness, was the girl. She believed the words. Held onto them everyday. 

That's why, years later, in another lifetime, another country, the girl, no longer a daughter, met the God. Her Prometheus that shaped her and molded her into something to be feared. His silver tongue caught her, wielded her fire and controlled it at will. He didn't give the fire back to humanity as a gift, but kept it for himself as a weapon. The fire scorched everything she touched. Destroyed the people in the way of their plans. 

In the haze of her duties, the girl forgot the story of Prometheus. She forgot the most important part; Prometheus got his fire stolen and his life damned to a eternity of hell.

Freedom was a right that Cornelia Esposito was never afforded. Despite her longing for such, she was shackled and chained to the responsibilities of survival and war. It had not been a lone battle, but one with armies larger than herself. 

Blackwater Locked Down.
BANK BOAT HEIST LARGEST ROBBERY IN YEAR.
DUTCH'S BOYS ACCUSED, BOUNTIES PLACED.
FURNISHES A SENSATION AMONG RESIDENTS.
MONEY BELIEVED STASHED. 

She believed she didn't anything more than loyalty and family. Happiness could only be obtained if the rest of them were happy. At least, that's what Dutch always told her. The job was never done if the family was left with smiles and full pockets. The anger, the hatred, and the violence was all so they could sleep── so they could be happy. Cornelia was not known for her perkiness, for her smile, or her wits. The naivety that used to plague her was no longer her gleaming quality, but the shadows she carried were. It's what kept her smart. Kept the plans from failing.

After a bloody shootout that resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of banknotes being shipped by boat, Pinkerton Agency officials have restricted access to the town of Blackwater while a massive manhunt is underway. Officials issued bounties on the heads of Dutch van der Linde and his gang, commonly known as Dutch's Boys. Banks looked to shipping assets via boat as a more reliable means of transportation, impervious to thieves. 

Somehow, some point, someone had screwed up. The plan had been foolproof. Something they'd walked through with meticulous care, every move had been planned and calculated. Nothing should've went wrong. But someone misstepped,  a deadly waltz.  As Cornelia watched blood pour from between her fingers, listened to her leader shout foul profanities at the authorities that surrounded them outside, and watched the fear leak into her family's eyes, something shifted. A ripple through her very core sent her head spinning. She realized, suddenly and without mercy── they were all fools.  

The deadly attack resulted in the loss of $150,000── the largest robbery in the region in recent years. Authorities believe that the men may have stashed the money in Blackwater before fleeing. Reports indicate that many are searching high and low for the stash, upending public spaces and neighbors' gardens.

A rage lit in her soul, roared behind her dark eyes, and her heart bled the very anger that kept her pushing. The plan was crumbling into little cake that rats would feed on, greedily consuming what was once a joyful feast. She could see it in their eyes, they were all scrambling for some semblance of steadiness. The jobs that had so meticulously been placed for each member was suddenly void── they were hopeless and without reassurance as there was a bitter back and forth with the law that lined up outside and their fearless leader. Cornelia clung onto conciseness, scrambling for some type of escape that'd wash this all away.

Residents of Blackwater view the lockdown with contempt. Businesses who depend on shipments of dry goods, sundries, and catalogue sales complain the Pinkertons have caused an unnecessary burden to life and welfare.

Weakness was unknown to her. The debilitating dizziness that took over as her eyes grew heavier, she watched on hopelessly as Dutch reached for that girl. The only girl that mattered. Watched as her eyes widened, her lips parted, she clutched her stomach, and Dutch made his demands. Rage and bitterness roared in his voice. Panic and fear masked with those two emotions. Cornelia watched with bated breath as Dutch's red soaked hand pointed the barrel at Heidi McCourt's temple, she weakly called out with a rasp as his finger rested on the trigger. And as Dutch declared that they were to escape, Cornelia recognized her life for what it was── A Greek tragedy.

SALMA HAYEK as CORNELIA ESPOSITO
' The Lone Wolf ' 

joy will fill the streets when I finally die.

ROGER CLARK as ARTHUR MORGAN
' The Faithful Buck '

I'd mourn you. 

disclaimer.                   i don't own red dead redemption i/ii. there's various mentions of violence, depictions of murder/gore, sexual crimes, parent loss, racism, it's 1899 so misogynic shit too, and anything else in the rdr universe. basically, it's jam packed with tws 

ii.                                      cornelia is very much not on the high honor side of the scale, so she'll probably do some shit that'll upset some people. high honor!arthur which means, you guessed it, angst and slow burn. they will have an horrible time navigating feelings and such because they're both emotionally stunted and struggling in this crumbling economy (they would die if they saw gas prices). i am all for making fun of characters that do dumb stuff but don't take it as bad writing or something, all of this happens for a reason!!! if you can't stand that then i encourage you to find something else to read (peace and love)  :)

iii.                                    user halosnite actually alive??? the audience gasps. i'm really excited to publish this because i've been wanting write again for so long. hopefully, this plot and oc lives up to the previous ones i've shown y'all. i've worked on the plot on and off for like five months, plus i'm a history nerd so i'm obsessed with keeping things historically accurate! i hope y'all enjoy <3

iv.                                     also micah and dutch suck so they will be depicted as such <3

 dedications.                      bananapopsicIes , foxgIoves , awfulmoons , nightwvngs , fxllmoons , + annie and elijah. love y'all, truly amazing talented people <3

GREEK TRAGEDY!
halosnite   /   may  19  2023

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