Vcs

@Doha I can't help but love that bunch! And dear, sweet Jo. Finding a place for him in the protection detail, I could practically picture how proud he was to stand with the other men.

Hmmm @dboggs9700, such an intriguing question! A few more chapters to go before interesting clues start to be revealed. Apparently, a number of our characters have gotten together and put a moratorium in place preventing me from sharing too much. However, now listen closely because I have to whisper.... I think you and other readers might find Chapter 17 of particular interest. Shhhhh. Doggone it! I hear them getting ready to peek out at what I'm typing, so better scoot...

Our dear @drsawzall, how I love your ideas! Yes, the cesspool would be a perfect dance floor for that bunch!

Much like the real-life Shir, @dboggs9700, the Shir at Two Spirits is fearless when it comes to taking a stand. While an insult would certainly be used as an excuse, those three no doubt would target our cast simply out of their own hate. Interesting how folks like that stay stuck in the role of victim when in truth nobody would care to give them a second thought if it weren't for their actions. Astounding @sandeman how, throughout history, some of mankind's greatest atrocities were born from religious zealots. It's a good thing Jake thought to have that big meeting in the bunkhouse. Isn't it interesting @Summerabbacat how bigots like that, with all their bluster, are such big pussies they hide behind white sheets and such instead of standing tall and proud of their warped religious convictions? Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if a specific member of that particular political party keeps a hidden closet of white hoods in their current domicile. They breed like rats. Two Spirits, along with the rest of us, need a pied piper to help rid the world of that infestation @Summerabbacat.

Ah man, you got me again! Thanks @Summerabbacat, now I'm stuck out in the sunroom because I can't stop laughing, and that song is stuck in my head! 🤣 🤣 🤣

When you shared your reaction with me @Summerabbacat, I was cracking up! Just maybe there will be a little reference to those thoughts later on. Nothing too extreme, but the laughs you left me with had to go somewhere. 🤣

Hahaha @Wiyot, we have @Summerabbacat to thank for that shot of brilliance.

Greetings readers of In the Barb, with Chapter 11, please meet Shir and CC: Shir Age : 36 Appearance : strong, dark complexion Height : 5’9” Eyes : rich teal, color of river Creole Hair : short, wavy brown, highlights House manager and Chef at Two Spirits, lives with partner CC down the gravel, not petite, never wears a lick of makeup, masculine hairstyle w/ highlights the color of evening sun, sweet Cajun accent from Louisiana, doesn’t curse in English but is colorful in Cajun, tone-deaf. Creole - mixed heritage, incorporating French, Spanish, African, Caribbean, and Native American ancestry. CC Age : 32 Appearance : petite, feminine Height : 5’2” Eyes : blue eyes, color of starlin’ bird Caucasian Hair : long, golden-blond Nurse practitioner, assists Doc as needed with ranch residents, lives on Two Spirits down the gravel with partner Shir, voice of a nightingale, from Texas

“If they come here, Jo, we will be prepared. That’s exactly what this meeting is about. In what I’m about to share, it is not my intention to say shoot first and ask questions later. We have laws in Montana, and I aim to live by them and expect every one of you to do the same. That said, on that sheet distributed to each of you, I included the ’09 revision of the stand-your-ground law. It says, and I quote, a ‘person who is threatened with physical harm has no duty to retreat or summon law enfor

That pollen, what a pesky bugger! It really should be banned. 😉 I'd have paid to have someone accept me so fully at that age, but then I suspect many of us would have. Ah yes, @drsawzall, a great community we have here. I've thought about how others often don't even have a clue they've touched our lives. 'Thank you' takes so little effort; I always appreciate even the simplest acknowledgements. Gentle hugs to you

Thank you @Doha. It's great to hear the descriptions are being enjoyed. I still wish I could load the different images, but a written description will have to do.

Between the nursery rhymes and cartoons, it's astounding @Summerabbacat , that people don't grow up more warped than they already are. A friend once asked if I were to recommend one cartoon for an Amish neighbor's children, what would it be? Attempting to make that decision was an interesting exercise in psychology. In the end, I quite honestly couldn't even think of one single cartoon that wouldn't traumatize a child who'd been protected from such images. Love, love, love the scene you've created with Shir chasing after the attackers. What a just end that would be. Of course, she'd likely opt for a nice dull implement.

A breakthrough we've all been awaiting @Doha. So much is happening; just maybe if they figure themselves out, they'll be able to stand together, sharing strength. I had to smile at the line you envisioned at the end of the story.

Finally @VBlew. I was ready to shake each one, both completely smitten and clueless at the same time. Alas, what a pity that would be. One never knows what fate or karma has in store, and there are three of them.

It is amazing @sandeman, just the thought warms the heart. Then, like moving from the touching scene in the den to the unnerving focus needed in the bunkhouse... Whew, what a shift. The moisture is hard to keep at bay; thinking about what a tragedy it is some in our world refuse to just live and let live.

I'm with you @Doha. Shayna seems like a hard nut to crack. I did have to laugh at her having her 'date' cancelled. What a clueless little skanky twit.

Thank you kindly @dboggs9700, it's about time they figured things out, huh? Hopefully, everyone will be pleased with the conclusion of the meeting. I'm loving how the Two Spirits family is all standing together and as determined to protect as Jake is.

Okay, folks, how about a little offering to follow each new chapter that's posted? What, you ask? A brief description of two members of the Cast of Characters. Today, we have Jake and Mannly: Jake Age : 27 Appearance : strong, virile, broad, muscular chest, Height : 6’3” Eyes : dark chocolate doe eyes Native American Hair : straight, long, black, silky Met Longfeathers when they visited his high school and was invited to move to Two Spirits Horse Ranch at the age of 17 after his father’s death & high school graduation; he is unusually tall for a Native American, saved Mannly from assailants at the north gate, owns multiple high-end guitars, has a deep, rich singing voice, and helps Jaciah and Kahlid Longfeather run the ranch, his natural gift for reading souls is helped to develop by Jaciah and Kahlid Longfeather, his Spirit Fathers Little Man, a.k.a. Mannly Age : 19 Appearance : toned, muscular Height : 5’3” Eyes : grey with golden flecks Spanish/Caucasian Hair : chestnut, wavy Found, by Jake, at the North gate of Two Spirits Horse Ranch after assault; originated from South Dakota; following his father’s death, was on his way to an online paper job in Montana; has a stunning alto singing voice; suffers trauma-induced memory loss from immediately before through assault; no identification or luggage found

Thank you so very much @Summerabbacat, that means more than you could know. I remember a conversation so similar and saying those very words. The young men on the receiving end were hilariously embarrassed, and all the blushing was adorable. The best part was when giggles ensued, breaking the tension. Ah, young love. 💞 Those are some incredible men in that bunkhouse. I want to adopt every one of them!

He is, isn't he @Doha? He carries several individuals I worked with, and they all still have a special place in my heart. I love seeing him in such a good place where he can thrive. Unfortunately, Mannly is still without his birth name. The trauma of what he went through is blocking his memory. As much as it might help, sometimes it's safer to allow memories to come when the psyche is ready to handle the events.

Continued... “Back when Jaciah and Kahlid first began here, they not only planned to raise and care for horses but also wanted to do so in an environment that was safe and welcoming. As we all know, society is not always kind to those of us who walk a different path in life that is accepted as the norm, if you will. They knew that, from their own experiences, and wanted to share their new home with others whose journeys had also taken such turns. Do you know what the term two-spirit means?"

She's been intriguing @Doha. For someone who was supposed to be basically inconsequential, she sure is demanding an inordinate amount of attention. Okay, I confess to getting a little punchy when staying up too late. I just heard a whisper that Shayna needs funding for more sparkly blue eyeshadow and thinks more airtime will get her a bigger cut of the publisher's advance check. Ha, she is in for a disappointment! 😉 🤣

And just in time! It broke my heart how despondent Doc became at the possibility of not being able to keep Mannly at the ranch.

They really are adorable @Doha, aren't they? The internal dialogue is killing me! While I'm enjoying all the chapters, I must say, this has been one of my faves. Jake, who is so macho and seemingly self-assured, can be entertaining when he gets flustered. He reminds me so much of someone who was in my life. Unlike Jake, though, everyone but him knew he was head over heels.