#like specifically Joseph Jacob and John honestly

[thoughtfulfoxllama]

Normally, I let y'all choose my topics, but honestly, I'm a bit nervous that, if I keep posting things related to Fundies, I'll have people asking "Kay, are you alright," or "Kay, are you a spy for the Allred Group." Emphatic no to both /hj. But, today I'm going to combine my Hot Takes on Blood Atonement, Fundamentalism & Polygamy together

What Fundies get Wrong

Obviously, this is going to be a long list. The Fundamentalists are flawed on nearly every level, and prone to collapse like a house of cards. So, let's explore their flaws:

Blood Atonement- The idea that ones blood must be shed to repent denies the power of Christ's Atonement. There is an interesting thing to point out however. Everything Brigham said required it held a death sentence at the time. In teaching the Atonement today, we teach you must make restitution (including legal restitution, if you broke the law) to truly repent. The Grace of Christ helps you, but if you've truly repented, you'll want to make that restitution. So, Blood Atonement is actually the idea that you should be undaunted when it comes to making restitution, even if death is the punishment

Race- You can't really blame the Fundies for this, because our entire Branch has struggled with this until the late 70s (although McKay did try to fix it in the 50s). God doesn't treat races differently, full stop. I can mention 3 men of African Descent being given the Priesthood, or Orsen Pratt being threatened by the Curse of Cain, but do I need to. It's obvious that God doesn't discriminate

The Garden Cosmology (Adam-God)- If someone can explain this in a way that makes sense, I'll be glad to hear it. How can Jehovah be the Father, and Adam also the Father. Why, immediately after saying God was Adam, did he say that Elohim was God, Jehovah was Christ, and Adam was the Holy Ghost. And in the JoD, an Apostle mentions that he believes in Lilith, in an attempt to justify Polygamy. But, if Adam & his wives were Exalted, how could one of them become a demoness. How can the Virgin Mary be a virgin after having sex (and did she marry God, and Joseph. I mean, I believe Polygamy goes both ways, but Brigham didn't). How is Adam God and also the Son of God. And anyway, Kimball said Adam-God was false (and reiterating that it was specifically the interpretations Fundies put on it, leading to the thought that Adam was Divine, but not Heavenly Father). Also, the Idea that Spirits are born through sex makes no sense either

(Sorry about my rant on the Garden Cosmology. And that's only the beginning. It's truly a web of confusion, with no answers, only more questions)

Child Marriage- You know why the split between the AUB & FLDS happened. Because the leader of the Priesthood Council (the Fundies Leaders before the split) said Child Marriage, Forced Marriage, and Incest were wrong. The Short Creekers didn't want to change, and when Rulon Allred was made leader over a guy from Short Creek, they became the FLDS (with Allred's Priesthood Council becoming the AUB). This eventually morphed into the most disgusting practices we see with the FLDS today

This is not to say everything is wrong, only most things. This leads us to

Polygamy

Polygamy is a true Doctrine, kind of. In D&C 132, it mentions that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all Exalted. The thing is, I'd say only Abraham was a true polygamist. Isaac was a monogamist, and Jacob was tricked into Plural Marriage. The very inclusion of Isaac states that polygamy (regardless of what Pioneer-era Saints were taught) was not essential for Exaltation, and Jacob reinforces that.

Polygamy is right for some people, and wrong for others. My & my wife are perfectly happy, and I could never be a polygamist. But, people who are called to be Polygamists should be allowed. But there is a difference between being called to polygamy, and just wanting to sleep with multiple people

The 1886 Revelation was received by John Taylor, and it is in his handwriting. He never mentions Polygamy (in fact, it would sound right in a conference talk today), but at least three people say he told them to defend Plural Marriage after receiving it (although, one of them was Lorin Woolley, so grain of salt). One of them, John Woolley (who, unlike his son, was seen as trustworthy until the Second Manifesto) was set apart to plural marry people

In doing research for a Polygamy Essay, I became acquainted with Ogden Kraut. He states that Woolley and his successors had only one job: plural marriages. Anything beyond that is wrong, and I (unlike many things he said) agree with that. It makes sense that John Taylor would set apart a Sealer, but not that he'd fracture the Church he spent decades serving and building up

And another thing, Joseph thought Polygamy should go both ways. He offered to let Emma plural marry William Law

I also have a lot to say about Polygamy and Abuse, but it can be summed up with allowance of polygamy means abuse victims can step forward and get the help they need.

So, there you go. Fundamentalists are basing their entire theology on misinterpreted facts, and polygamy should be allowed for some people. How's that for Hot

(And I'm sorry for the issues. I didn't cite my sources, and I'm pretty sure I sound like a madman telling everyone the end is near, because Biden & Trump are reptilian lovers. Truth is, I'm on a trip to Colorado, and I do my best work at home. So, any clarification, questions, accusations, ECT can go into the comments, and I'll get to you as soon as I can. And next week, we'll have a cooler hot take)

[derelictdumbass]

Thinking about how the Seeds relationships with Dean could be taken as an act of defiance against how they were raised and a way for them to break out of that restraint and accept the trauma they went through and move forward from it.

[daincrediblegg]

there was this photo u reblogged once from the actor in ur demon priest show where he had long, wavy hair and it gave off massive bruno energies for whatever reason and i cant stop thinking about it even tho idk who he even is nor have watched anything with him in it 😭

IT IS VERY VERY FUNNY YOU MENTION THAT BC WHEN I WAS STARTING TO REALLY GET INTO ENCANTO MIA SORELLA @jokerownsmysoul MADE THE EXACT SAME OBSERVATION AND IT JUST TICKLES ME SILLY THAT THE CURLY-HAIRED SOFT BOY PIPELINE REALLY CAME THROUGH I MEAN LOOK

SAME FUCKIN IMAGE

[derelictlovefool]

Guilty Conscience

Summary: John confronts the ex-deputy about avoiding him, it doesn't go exactly as planned.

Warning(s): Canon typical violence

read on Ao3 <3

John sighed, for what felt like the millionth time, arms crossed over his chest as he watched the ex-deputy pace one of the many rooms in the bunker. Not his bunker, unfortunately, Joseph's bunker. Which was all well and good but not a part of the plan. Admittedly, he was happy he got to be with his brothers, he didn't know how well he would have been able to handle being stuck with their followers alone in his own bunker. There was a level of freedom he had before which would have been lost had it been just him and him alone. 

He honestly didn't even mind that Faith was with them, as annoying as her constant wailing was. This is what she got for indulging in the very sin that led her to Joseph in the first place as far as John was concerned. He had no sympathy for her, or anyone else feeling morose now that Joseph's visions had come true. He was feeling a small inkling of worry for Jacob however, it had only been a year and he was already becoming antsy and snapping at followers and the like.

He couldn't blame him, being cooped up like this was the opposite of enjoyable.

What was even less enjoyable was having the match that set the flame running around the bunker, avoiding him specifically like he was the locust in the garden and not the other way around. It was mildly infuriating, seeing as how close he thought they'd been growing before the collapse. Another lie, another trick. Just like every other 'relationship' he'd attempted in the past. It left a bitter anger in his chest and his resentment from when they first met bubbled back up to the surface. It made him wish Joseph had left him handcuffed in the small room they'd had him in for the first two months.

Dean hadn't noticed him thus far, too busy trying to get his radio to pick up any kind of signal. Familiar names fell from his lips; 'Dutch are you there?', 'Jerome can you hear me?', "Michael?', 'Remy, anyone, talk to me!'. It was almost pitiful, and it was even more pitiful how John's heart twisted at the teary sound of the ex-deputy's hoarse voice. He wasn't allowed to make him feel bad for him, not when he was treating him like… Like the villain. Because he wasn't. Joseph was right so he was right. If anyone was the villain here it was Dean.

And yet, he didn't really believe that.

John was jolted out of his thoughts when Dean threw the radio against one of the concrete walls, a frustrated cry echoing out in the room as he buried his hands in his hair. John straightened, un-crossing his arms and eyeing the radio with a mildly unimpressed expression. What a waste of a perfectly good radio. Well, at least they could still use it for scrap. Dean turns and freezes at the sight of the herald, teary brown eyes meeting icy blue ones. It was a shock to the system, seeing the proud and strong man tearful and vulnerable. But it also gave John a small feeling of vindication.

Dean turns his gaze to the ground and doesn't say anything to acknowledge John, which just makes the Baptist more annoyed. He catches him crying and he can't even manage a defensive quip? Nothing? John frowns and begins to stalk forward, he'd had enough of being danced around like he was a snake ready to strike at the smallest movement. Dean looks up at him at the sound of his heavy footsteps and his eyes widen at the anger burning in John's eyes. The man takes a step back but John's on him like a wildfire, grabbing a fistful of his stupid flannel and pulling him closer forcefully.

He can hear Dean's heart beating, their breath is mingling in the closed space between them and the tears slipping down his cheeks fill John's chest with a feeling he can't comprehend. It all makes him so angry, the bewildered look in those deep brown eyes, the way his plush lips fall open, the feeling of his soft hand wrapping around his tattooed wrist. God, he wanted to punch him. Wanted to make him hurt like he had for the past six months. But he didn't.

He kissed him.

Crashed his lips into Dean's like a tidal wave, brought his other hand up to hold his jaw with a bruising grip. His heart hammered against his ribcage and he felt the familiar ache in the tips of his fingers, at the edge of his tongue. He pushed Dean up against the wall, taking advantage of the gasp the other man let out to shove his tongue inside his mouth. Dean groans, whether it was from the pain of the impact with the concrete wall or the possessive kiss from the Herald was a mystery. John would let himself believe it was from the kiss. 

John releases Dean's shirt, taking hold of Dean's wrist and pinning it to the wall. Dean's other hand uselessly presses flat against John's chest, his fingertips brushing against the scarred skin beneath his collarbone and causing a shiver to run up the Baptist's spine. John catches Dean's bottom lip in his teeth, revelling in the metallic taste that met his tongue and pained grunt that left the man. He pulls back, licking the blood from his lip and glaring at Dean with a half-lidded gaze.

That's right, it was a gift. Each letter a confession of his own on the ex-deputy's skin. Dean shuddered at the sudden gentle kiss John pressed against the healed wound, the action such a stark contrast to his previous aggressive movements. He's caught even more off guard by the bitter chuckle that escapes John, the Herald's hot breath fanning over his chest as he leans his forehead against his chest. His grip on Dean's wrist slips and a tiredness washes over him, his anger still sizzling but the undercurrent of sadness washing it further away from his frazzled mind.

Dean is sucking in air like a drowned man, brows furrowed and eyes still as lost as before. It made John want to scream, how could he not get it? It was obvious. Obvious to everyone else. Obvious to him. He presses a heated kiss to Dean's throat, the thought of sinking his teeth into the soft flesh crossing his mind but the breathy sigh that escapes Dean has him thinking twice about it. He trails those kisses down his neck, pulling at his flannel and exposing the words John himself had so lovingly carved under his collarbone.

"When you walked into Joseph's church I wanted to kill you. Who did you think you were, what gave you the right to deny God's will?" 

John muttered spitefully, closing his eyes as the image of Dean walking into Joseph's church behind Whitehorse entered his mind. He'd looked so timid that night, following after his sheriff like an obedient puppy, tail between his legs under his brother's gaze. He remembered very clearly when he'd first had those brown eyes lock with his, so unsure and filled with doubt. If he'd known what he knew now he wondered what he'd have done. Would he have just killed him? Saved his family all the trouble he caused? Or would he have made sure Dean was the one pulled from the plane and brought to him instead of Hudson?

Would that have changed anything?

"You've always fought me Dean, even when I thought…" John pauses and his anger bristles again, "When you were sleeping in my bed and making yourself oh so comfortable in my home," He lifts his head once more and he hates how the anger fizzles to almost nothing under Dean's heavy gaze. There's no apology in his eyes; maybe remorse, regret possibly. John tenses his jaw, an attempt to stop the sudden stinging at the corner of his eyes.

He knew Dean never saw himself as a hero but he had to cling to something. Something other than the nagging thought that had been eating away at him in the moments of silence. The thing that coiled around his heart like barbed wire and made him want to take out all his hurt on the man in front of him. He pulls Dean off of the wall only to throw him back into it, a growl ripping out of his throat. He is disappointed when the flash of pain that crosses Dean's face doesn't alleviate any of the overwhelming emotions running wild inside him. He's disappointed when Dean doesn't do anything to fight back.

"Why can't you let it be? Joseph was right, everything he said. Why can't you accept that? Is it your pride? What, you don't want to accept that you weren't the hero you thought you were?" John snaps, pushing Dean further into the wall, fisting his shirt in both of his hands now as Dean's fell to his side's lamely. The lack of reply hurts. It hurts and John can't remember when he let Dean have the power to hurt him without even saying a word.

"Say something for fucks sake! You can't seem to shut up around everyone else, what the fuck did I do to get the silent treatment sepcifically?" John snaps, his hands shaking and breath ragged. Small strands of his hair had fallen out of place and anyone would think he was about to burst. Which he was. This was unfair. He had done everything right, everything that was asked of him so why was he being punished? By the sinner he was told to save of all people.

"Maybe you just hate that there's no more reason you can't be with me, you hate that you don't have an excuse to run away!" John laughs and it sounds wrong, it feels like acid even on his own tongue, "Do you hate me that much? Is the thought of being with me that repulsive, deputy?" He sneers, putting emphasis on his old title and not caring that the tears welling in his eyes give him away. He hopes Dean feels like shit, hopes he feels as vile as he does. Because the truth is no one would blame him if it was true. No one would blame him for wanting nothing to do with the sadistic, messy, hopeless excuse of a man John had become.

Dean's face twists into shock at John's words and finally, finally, he does something. He cups John's face in his hands, presses his forehead against his and John feels himself crumble to pieces at the soft touches almost instantly.

"I don't hate you John," Dean whispers, there's a pain in his voice and John lets out a shaky breath while squeezing his eyes shut. It's the first time he's spoken to him in six months, the first words directed at him and not just said around him. John can't get his thoughts in order, he wants more, thinks he deserves more but at the same time he doesn't believe it. Even after everything they'd been through, everything he'd done to hurt Dean under the guise of converting him for the project. 

His hands slip from Dean's shirt again to wrap around his waist, burying his face away into his shoulder and letting his body sag tiredly against his solid frame. Dean holds him, kisses the top of his head and let's loose so many memories of when he'd done exactly that standing on the back porch of John's ranch. Fuck he wished he could be back there. He wished he could crawl into his bed and wake up to Dean's sleeping face, with the sun creeping in and framing him in an angelic glow. He wished he could have that back and not be in this frustrating situation.

"I'm worried about my family," Dean mutters into John's hair. John doesn't care, as selfish as it is he doesn't care if everyone Dean knew died in the collapse. Actually a part of him hoped they did. They were just another thing keeping him from having what he wanted, they deserved whatever came to them. But he couldn't say that, so he kept his mouth shut and held Dean tighter. 

"I can't just sit around here and act like a happy family with you when I don't know if mine is alive or dead." Dean continues and John frowns. The sensible part of him could understand that reasoning but there was a severe difference from sitting around playing house and not being avoided and ignored. He wasn't asking for him to pretend they weren't exactly where they were he just wanted to not feel like a ghost when he was in the damn room. He just wanted Dean to talk to him.

"I can talk to your brothers because I can still be angry at them, honestly picking fights with Joseph is the only thing keeping me sane right now," Dean scoffs, leaning his head back until it hit the wall, "I can't… Fuck I don't know I can't be mad at you anymore. And that makes me feel so, fucking guilty," Dean sighs and John is once again lifting his head to meet his eyes. Guilty. Yes that made sense. Being alive and well and happy with one of the people whose entire job was putting your family in danger would be guilt inducing to say the least.

John's lost the fire he walked into the room with, his original goal to give Dean a piece of his mind having totally gone awry. Maybe the small amount of contact had satiated him a small bit but he knew he couldn't walk away if Dean was going to go back to acting like he wasn't there. Whatever his reasons, whatever his guilt, John wasn't going to be thrown away to the side for any of it. 

"So what's your plan then? Ignore me for seven years so you don't have to feel 'guilty?'" John asks, a cruel, pained kind of smile on his face. Dean shakes his head, taking a moment to try and collect his own thoughts as John stared him down.

"No…"

"So, what is it then?" 

John presses the question, leaning forward as Dean turns his head to the side. Avoiding his eyes again. Like that would help. 

"I don't know," Dean mutters, earning an unamused snort from John.

"That's not good enough," He says shortly, blue eyes piercing as he stepped to the side, forcing himself back into Dean's field of view.

"What do you want from me John?" Dean asks, his voice breathy and quiet as he meets John's eyes again. John finds the question almost insulting, like he didn't know exactly what he wanted. He hadn't made it some kind of secret.

"I want exactly what I wanted a year ago, so when you feel like you've wallowed enough to earn forgiveness you know where you can find me."

John let's go of Dean even though he doesn't want to, every part of him is begging him keep holding on to him, to hold him until they could walk out of this stupid cramped bunker together. But he needed to keep some of his dignity, keep some of his control. He couldn't be so desperate, not when Dean wasn't doing the same. That was just humiliating. Dean opens his mouth to say something but shuts it just a quickly, John shaking his head over so lightly as he turned and began walking out.

Dean's gaze burned into his back and he fought himself from turning around. This was the scary part. Dean could just decide to not seek him out, could decide no amount of time will make it okay for him to be cozy with the 'enemy'. A title he thought Dean hadn't associated with him for quite a while but perhaps he was wrong. Maybe Dean was better at hiding things than he let on, or, for the sake of John's sanity he was just over thinking and getting in his own head over nothing.

He would leave his door open that night, an invitation, or more so a gentle plead. Hours ticked by and John felt his heart grow heavier, by the time he was trying to encase it with it's usual ice and scrub any trace of the ex-deputy from it he heard heavy footsteps in the hall. His breath caught in his throat and the hand that had his pillow in an iron grip froze. He listened and waited. The steps halted at his door and he wanted to turn and see if it was who he was waiting for but he stayed still. Just in case him being awake made Dean change his mind. Praying it was Dean.

A heavy sigh escapes into the air and John hears his door closing, it confuses him for a moment until the footsteps continue. The mattress dips with the new weight on it and John melts as a familiar arm wraps around his waist. Dean buries his face in between the Baptist's shoulder blades, pulling him closer and entangling their legs together. It all feels so familiar, so warm and John feels lighter. The weight that had been hanging over him replaced by Dean's body against his. God he missed this. He missed Dean.

This was a good start. If it was just this for a while John would be okay, he could work with this. He could bring his deputy around, just like he had before.

[olwrathie]

Favorite Details in Far Cry 5 Part 2: Introduction

It seems as though quite a few if you liked my post where I discussed my favorite details in fc5. Well I recently restarted the game and thought I would share some more of my favorite details, specifically focusing on the introduction of the game!

Warnings: Minor spoilers for the introduction of fc5, mentions of violence.

1.) Joseph’s Control

   I could write an entire post dedicated to Joseph’s character and Greg Bryk’s portrayal of him. But one of my favorite details is in the opening scene where we see the ‘traitor’ kneeling before Joseph. We’ve all seen violent bad guys, but it is rare to see the calm power Joseph wields. When he (what I’m assuming is) digging his fingers into the man's eyes, this calmness continues to radiate from Joseph, even as he commits this violent act. And it is something that seems to carry through the entire game. 

2.) Whitehorse vs. Burke

    The tension between these two is evident from the beginning. Whitehorse’s annoyance with Burke is understandable, and Burke almost seems oblivious. Hope County is nothing but another assignment to him, but Whitehorse has lived with Eden’s Gate, he’s seen people he cares about be taken, and perhaps even killed. And despite the fact that these two are technically on the same side, as they are both on the side of the law, these two couldn’t be further apart in the sense of their motivations. And Burke’s naivety to the situation the residents of Hope County are experiencing is obviously frustrating to Whitehorse. They even continue to bicker as they approach the church, while they are in the church, while they are leaving, and in the helicopter. Honestly, I am just a sucker for complex characters that don’t get along even when they are on the same side, and I think that these two characters portray that perfectly. 

3.) Pratt’s Flask

This is a detail my friend pointed out to me, and it is slightly more lighthearted than the rest. But during the helicopter ride to Joseph’s Compound, right after Burke says, “Why do you keep callin’ em peggies?” watch Pratt. He reaches down and grabs a flask (the same one that can be seen scattered across Hope County, but I can’t tell if it’s the exact same one as they normally have Eden’s Gate symbol on them) and takes a drink. He silently offers a drink to Hudson who shoves his arm away, to which he smirks at her before setting it back down. Obviously it is never revealed what is in the flask, but by his reaction, I’m assuming it isn’t something he should be drinking while operating a helicopter...

(This is the only gif I could find of the specific scene I am talking about, so just imagine John is Pratt)

4.) Jacob’s Disapproval

    This is yet another detail my friend pointed out to me during one of my playthroughs. But in the church during the arrest, pay attention to Jacob. After Joseph’s speech, specifically when he says “...and Hell followed with him,” and he raises his arms to allow the deputy to cuff him, Jacob shakes his head. It’s subtle, so it is easy to miss. But it is almost kind of amusing to see Jacob's disapproval of his younger brother's willingness, for lack of a better word, to be arrested. Even John, who is a lawyer, does not seem fazed by Joseph’s actions, he remains stoic, but instead Jacob is the one to react.   

5.) The Music 

    This entire game’s soundtrack is phenomenal. But the music in the church scene (as well as the lack thereof) is so incredibly powerful and chilling. The way the church congregation singing “Amazing Grace” fades as the officers enter the church. Followed by the lack of music as they slowly creep toward the front of the church where Joseph stands preaching. To the subtly intense music that plays as Burke holds up the warrant. The music truly reflects the tension of the scene. But personally my favorite part of the music in this scene is after Joseph says, “...and behold it was a white horse.” The four bells that ring as Joseph makes eye contact with the player is enough to send chills down my spine. The placement is perfect, in my opinion, and the music as a whole in this scene is fantastic and really adds another level to the game.

[hope-grace-serenity]

Hello! I just found your blog and I love your meta about Faith (honestly I just missed that no one really talks about her). Considering that though, I have a question - what do you think her relationship with John and Jacob is like? I often see people headcannoning her as being John's bestie and honestly, the idea never sat right with me. And on the contrary, I think Jacob cared about her more than people usually presume. So I was curious about your take. :D

Hi! :) I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my posts! The question you asked is so interesting because there’s barely any information in the game about the dynamics of the heralds. There are a lot of different ways to interpret or headcanon their relationships, and I think other takes besides my own are equally valid and can be fun to read about. 

As for my personal viewpoint, I headcanon John as having--or had in the past--some kind of one-sided rivalry towards Faith (Rachel). She’s described by NPC’s as being Joseph’s favorite, and another NPC says that Joseph gives Faith whatever she wants. John, on the other hand, is said to be someone who never had Joseph’s full confidence, and we see how distraught he is when Joseph chastises him for giving into his more violent impulses during the baptism. I think seeing Joseph be so full of affection towards this outsider and “adopting” her into the family would make John see red. The fact that Rachel, unlike the past Faiths, makes herself valuable due to her use and production of the Bliss, as well as her talent for manipulation and knowing how to play the game, is something that aggravates him even more, because he knows she’s not going away anytime soon. He knows how Joseph views her and isn’t stupid enough to take action against her directly, so I think any kind of conflict would be more passive-aggressive, like  trying to constantly one-up her. An example of this “competition” can be seen when he tries to paint himself as being a better herald than she is because he believes he treats his underlings better than she treats her angels.

HOWEVER, there is something from the game that makes me feel like there might be another layer to the John-Faith dynamic besides rivalry. Two different NPC’s both express that Faith is going to be angry that John was killed. If he was constantly being antagonistic towards her, then she wouldn’t be that upset if he died, right? So my personal belief is that, after 7 years, the two developed some kind of understanding with each other, to the point where they might be considered friends, even though I feel there’s always going to be an underlying jealousy from John’s end.  Faith is very quick to pick up on what people are thinking/feeling, and I could see Faith being the one to initially extend an olive branch to John  (either out of genuine sympathy and/or more strategic purposes). I don’t think John would be emotionally mature enough to take it at first, but as the years go on I could see him developing a grudging acceptance and respect for her and her abilities. John can be pretty passive-aggressive and petty, but so can she, and I genuinely think he would meet his match with Faith and would quickly see that he couldn’t “win” this one, which would cause him to adapt (just like how he needed to adapt to different situations in the past). The fact that she lasted 7 years with the group is quite telling, and they *do* have a lot in common that they could relate to and talk about. I could see them both trying to figure things out about the other as a way to get an advantage in their weird competition, and unwillingly end up growing closer as a result. Joseph’s presence and influence over both of them would always be the biggest stumbling block and prevent them from having a normal relationship, but I think that by FC5 they’re about as close as they can be, all things considered.

As for Jacob, I think Faith would initially have a much harder time getting a read on him, which would make her cautious at first. I also think Jacob would purposely keep her at arm’s length, especially in the beginning, because of the replaceable, disposable nature of her role. I think he feels the whole “Faith” position and her title as a “sister” is one big farce and somewhat insulting to the brothers’ history and all they went through, but puts up with it purely out of a desire to make Joseph happy. As with John though, I think Faith grows on him as the years go on. While he might first only view her in terms of what she can offer to the Project, he eventually sees that she has a strength and ingenuity to her. This strength is what keeps her in the Faith role for so long, and Jacob respects strength. I feel like their personalities would mesh well and they would be cordial to one another without the strings that Faith’s relationship with the other brothers might have.  I also headcanon that Jacob acted as some kind of mentor figure, even unknowingly, because Faith takes some cues from him in her approach as a herald. I know it’s been discussed on this site before, but both of them focus on breaking down or warping the minds of others--the key difference is that Jacob’s approach is intimidating yet upfront while Faith’s is soothing yet duplicitous. Good cop/bad cop, in a way. 

I do think that Jacob purposely tries to close himself off to a certain degree in order to not get emotionally invested, because as a soldier he always prepares for the worst and would not want to be emotionally compromised in his mission. After Faith dies, one of the NPCs says that Jacob would “happily sacrifice everyone and everything to feed Joseph’s collapse. He doesn’t care about Faith.” Ultimately, his brothers and their mission will always be Jacob’s number one priority. He might like and respect Faith on an individual level and value her more than random canon fodder cultists, but in the end, she’s still an outsider, and if her death is needed in order to achieve that mission, then so be it. It might sound callous to us, but Jacob has an extremely pragmatic worldview, and this reason is specifically why he tries not to get emotionally attached to anyone besides his brothers. It doesn’t mean that he dislikes Faith, it just means that he views her as more expendable to him than his blood relatives, and wants to keep it that way because feeling otherwise would lead to a conflict of interest. 

But those are just my two cents! I know different people have different opinions, and other takes are totally valid as well, especially since there’s so little to go on in the actual game. Part of the fun is seeing all the different ways the characters get interpreted.

[rookisaknight]

Raf Tanager, meet Hope County

⤘⤘⤘There’s a new Deputy in Town⬽⬽⬽

So as a side benefit of getting into this fandom again with a brand new gender and a brand new vibe: a brand new deputy. Excited to introduce you all to my boy, they were developed for a joint Deputy au with @ophiebot​ (who will do this for their Deputy Elijah Rook if so inclined). Not exactly reinventing any wheels here, but this time its about the indulgence.

FYI, Molly is still extant, but her story I think has been explored in my brainspace as much as it needs to be. 

➷The Basics

1. Give their full name, and describe them or post a picture! (Height, build, hair, eye, and skin color, etc.)

Rafael "Raf" Tanager (birth name REDACTED). 5'4", prone to chub but hardening up with the frequent exercise, solid build. Freckles on cheeks that darken as time goes on. Short hair kept red by some truly obsessive hairdye upkeep, which is harder than you might think. Hazel eyes. Burns and shrapnel scars around the eyes and mouth.

2. How old are they?

24

3. Sexuality and gender?

Bisexual, transmasc genderqueer. She/they/he but a preference for they/he when he doesnt trust the person using them.

➵Pre-Game

1. How did they end up at the Hope County Sheriff’s Department? How long have they worked there?

Raf grew up closer to Missoula, but he’s still a Montana native. They’ve been at this for around 8 months, pretty much right out of graduating college. Even they honestly aren’t sure how they ended up here, just the latest in a series of adrift jobs after graduating, taken primarily to avoid any potential financial dependence on their  family. Probably would have resigned soon were it not for. Everything.

2. Relationship with Pratt, Hudson, and Whitehorse?

Pratt: Used to hate his guts. The teasing felt too much like flirting for their comfort and he was honestly kind of a bully. Now its trickier. He's pathetic in a way that’s hard for them to be around, as awful as that is, because it hits too close to home.

Hudson: Had a massive crush on her for most of their early days that pretty much went out the window post Eden’s Gate. They still try a little too hard to impress her though.

Whitehorse: Intellectually, they resent his passivity since it means a lot of Eden’s Gate ended up falling in their lap and he’s STILL insistent that maybe they should have left it alone when they’ve all had months to realize why that was a bad idea in the first place. Emotionally, well, they’re maybe a little in need of a father figure or two.

Elijah Rook: The former Rookie. They were quietly a little intimidated by him prior to all this and that’s never fully gone away, but they’ve now been able to witness more of his dorky side that makes it a little harder to take him seriously. You try chaperoning this guy from one end of Hope County and considering him at all frightening.

3. Do they have an education?

They have a MASTERS and its never relevant to anything because its a humanities degree, specifically the classics. Part of the reason they’re a little adrift currently, there was no easy dismount out of college. Just a hell of a lot of debt.

4. Where are they from? Did they speak a different language there?

Missoula, or close enough to it. They picked up some Latin and Greek from their degree. The Latin comes in handy more often than you’d think, what with the cult stuff, but the reading material is a real bummer.

5. Is there anyone outside the valley that might have come looking for them?

They’ve never had many friends in college and high school that could outlast physical proximity and they basically ghosted their family since that was easier than coming out to them at a certain point. So no, no one they want to find them is looking.

6. Did they have a religious background of any kind?

His father is a preacher, and while there’s some baggage there they would still describe themselves as broadly religious. Or at the very least superstitious.

➷Inside Hope County

1. What was going through their head when the helicopter went down and during the subsequent chase?

The crash was honestly the easiest part. That was just panic. The chase was the hard part. The helicopter exploding ended up catching them in the face, leaving them with burns and scarring that would remain for the rest of their life. She's lucky she wasn’t blinded. Still, he was forced to stumble out of the woods in intense pain and bleeding out. Had it not been for Elijah they definitely would have been taken then and there.

2. Were they afraid of Joseph and Eden’s Gate? Angry?

Terrified. Not just because of what they’ve done but because Raf knows intuitively that he's susceptible to it. As early as their first encounter they have a hard time breaking the hold Joseph gets on their mind. Even though they’re conscious of HOW they’re being manipulated, its hard to resist it.

3. Did they trust Dutch?

At that point Raf would’ve happily taken literally anyone who seemed to know what they’re doing and wasn’t holding a gun to his head.

4. How did they feel about their team being taken by the cult, did they count them as lost, did they want them back, did they not care?

Absolutely the nightmare scenario: people’s lives depending on them and their ability to be decisive. Had it not been for Elijah they probably would’ve high tailed it out of there and tried to find someone higher up the authority chain to deal with this mess. Still, just abandoning them all didn’t sit right with him either, and by the time they’d liberated Fall’s End even he had to admit he was there by his own choice.

5. How did they take to the idea of being part of, if not leading, the resistance?

Again, Raf doesn’t really do well with people depending on them. Alone. they probably would have found it a lot more miserable, but Elijah significantly helped lighten that load for them in terms of having a direction. They’ve found out they’re accidentally pretty good at working with a variety of people and can even be inspiring without meaning to. Still, in their ideal world they would’ve been left alone, or at least remained a foot soldier.

6. Which companions did they recruit, and who did they travel with the most?

All guns for hire were recruited, but Sharky and Nick were their go-to’s, Sharky for personal reasons and Nick for air support. Grace was usually the adult supervision when Nick couldn’t make it but. To be frank Raf's aim isn’t great and it drives Grace a little nuts on prolonged missions. She’s tried teaching them but it never really seems to stick.

7. Did they have time to find romance amidst the chaos? How did they do it?

Sharky. That relationship was a bit of a cold opener  (and don’t bother, Sharky already beat you to that joke). After getting their face fucked up during the escape they’ve had a pretty healthy aversion to fire and explosives, making his recruitment a little harrowing. Still, Sharky's sweet in his way, makes them laugh and breathe a little easier when the pressure gets to them, and operates on a pretty similar brainwave. They’ve been joined at the hip since their first few months in Holland Valley. They’re both a little on the codependent side, but really, who are they to complain.

8. Feelings about Joseph?

Joseph taps into a lot of vulnerabilities inside of Raf intuitively. The absence of a strong support system, the loneliness, the fear, the directionlessness, the relationship with their own spirituality, it all provides him a unique entryway into their psyche that he is exactly the kind of person to exploit. As a result, he tends to fixate on them over Elijah, usually to their detriment. Still, that connection can sometimes go both ways, and there are things about Joseph that Raf understands which even his brothers never fully do.

9. Feelings about the other Seeds?

John: They have a unique capacity for antagonizing him. Probably because as an oldest child themselves they know exactly how to jab at the youngest child insecurities. Still, that relationship didn’t stem any deeper and he focused his energies a little more on Elijah. Still, they have him to thank for the Sloth scars on their arm, thanks for that. They’re starting to run out of unmarked skin.

Faith: Faith, meanwhile, was a little more directly focused on Raf, partly because her region was the first time they had to operate a little more on their own. For personal reasons, Elijah wasn’t particularly able to engage with the Bliss. Meaning if Burke was ever going to get saved Raf had to be the one to go in there, again and again. Faith, like Joseph, can tap a lot of that loneliness that Raf has, as well as some gender and sexuality stuff Joseph can’t touch. Suffice to say Sharky had a pretty good reason for being as overbearing as he was during those months, even though he was eventually able to do the job. As a side note, they haven’t had access to their ADHD meds for MONTHS and it doesn’t help when the cult drug is the first thing to make your head feel clear in a while.

Jacob: Jacob was utterly uninterested in Raf and the feeling was mostly mutual. He doesn’t really get him or what he’s about, just knows that the county would be better off when he was put down. Transition goals, though (don’t tell Staci they said that).

10. How did they handle having to kill animals and other humans? Had they done it before?

Animals yeah, you don’t live in Montana as long as they did without hunting occasionally. People....well. You can get used to it.

11. Which canon ending did they choose in-game, and would you have changed the ending at all?

Resist. I wouldn’t. Raf might.

➷Personal

1. Favorite weapon(s)?

They usually prefer to show up to spots early and lay traps, try to minimize the direct combat involvement. When it can’t be avoided though, their pistol isn’t ever far and neither is a hunting knife.

2. Stealth or firepower?

Stealth, one hundred percent. Sharky and Eli are here to do the firepower.

3. How did they spend their time, when not fighting peggies?

A lot of bad movies with the boyfriend and a LOT of poker, one of their more unknown talents. Resistance isn’t gonna fund itself.

4. Where did they live during the events of the game?

Wherever there was a bed they could fall into. Their little trailer they’d been living in prior to all this got absolutely decimated while they were healing up on Dutch’s island.

5. Any other facts you want to share about your Deputy!

He’s got almost supernatural luck to the point that a couple of their guns for hire have gotten superstitious about bringing him to certain events. Including fishing. The catch just always seems somehow a little better. Also he’s privately obsessed with the 1998 recording of Cats and is terrified of anyone finding out.

[ofravensandgenesis]

I'd love to ask about '03 Rachel/Faith notes, backstory, past Faiths, Bliss Mechanics, Tracey, etc' and 'Redshift Collision', if that's okay! 👀

Oo, fun choices! :D Thank you for asking!! ♥ Putting it below the cut, also trigger warnings for mentions of child abuse, drug use, dark backstories, in line with or inspired by Far Cry 5 canonical content. Trigger warnings for Redshift Collision include mentioned fantasy religious content, topic of euthanasia mentioned, magical diseases, etc. Long post is long, I hope the read is enjoyable though!! :0

————— 03 Rachel/Faith notes, backstory, past Faiths, Bliss Mechanics, Tracey, etc ————— So this folder breaks down into a dozen docs with split up notes, we’ll touch briefly on a bit from most of if not all of them, but the list is as follows:

01 Faith Character Notes, NPC Followers

02 Rachel Jessop’s Backstory for ACABH

03 Deaths of the Former Faiths Prior to Rachel, Some Bliss Mechanics

04 Tracey Lader Backstory Notes for ACABH

05 Types of Bliss Drug

06 Bliss Dart Mechanic Notes

07 Faith NPC compilation links

08 Overarching Bliss Realm Mechanics

09 Priestess pictures for Athalia - refs, tattoos, etc

10 Jacob’s Men talking about Bliss Shipment Amounts for Various REgions, Bliss Barrel capacity

11 Faith’s character arc, [Redacted for spoilers] - Major Plot Developments for All Main Characters

12 Angels versus Lost Souls

So, fun tidbits from these various docs! Some are implicitly dark because Faith is a Seed and Seeds don’t get to have happy, fun backgrounds in cult-centric AUs like ACABH, poor souls. The first Angel that Faith ever made, and the first ever Angel of the Project, was a woman named Abigail. It was an accident. Researched the first and last (and alternate) names for both Rachel Jessop, Faith, and Tracey Lader. Fun stuff honestly, Tracey’s is very fitting in that one definition of the name is taken from the Irish word "treasach" meaning "war-like" or "fighter." Lader is from Old English and Middle English words meaning to load; draw up (water specifically.) Rachel is as far as biblical names go, the name of the favorite wife of Jacob, and means “ewe” as in a female sheep. Fitting in a metaphorical sacrificial lamb way, if one chooses to look at it like that, among other sheep-like metaphors such as following the herd, etc. Rachel’s father was a doctor who researched the biochemistry of various plant  based compounds that he extracted from specimens he grew at home in controlled conditions. Her mother ran a florist shop and delivery chain, and grew orchids in the green house as a past time. Rachel was passionate about the sciences when she was young, but neither parent looked upon this favorably for various (toxic and abusive) reasons, leading Rachel to become far more withdrawn and reclusive about her passions and activities—in as much as she could manage, beneath her parents’ ironclad rule. Rachel in the present day still is passionate about biology (specifically botany) and biochemistry, but keeps that to herself unless she really happens to trust the other person. There was a brief time when she was a more rebellious and spirited young girl—but her parents quickly stamped that out through any means necessary, including force. It is a major reason as to why Rachel is so conflict avoidant: she remembers how badly it can go, how quickly it can escalate, and she is so very aware of the inherent fragility of both life and limb. There are quite a few conflicting points-of-view regarding the deaths of Rachel’s predecessors, and a great deal of misinformation. Rachel believes that the Seeds aren’t being entirely forthcoming with her about how their own abilities work and the limits of said abilities, and that there’s a lot of secrets not being told regarding the details of how the two former Faiths died. Selena was the first Faith, chosen while the Project was still in its infancy, long before they had made it to Hope County, and Joseph was so sure she’d be the prophesied fourth Herald to help shepherd the faithful through the Collapse. Lana was the second, stepping up to fill the role when Selena died—but Lana died two months later, with both Faiths’ deaths serving as markers of the dangers of the then proto-Bliss-realm. Rachel had been at the Project for half a year at that point, and was the one who took up the mantle of Faith and has served ever since for the past seven years. She was eighteen when she took up the name Faith, but despite her young age had marked accomplishments to her name that had put her forward as a candidate, namely her works with the geneticist Peter on developing the first strains of the drug that would later come to be called the Bliss. This lead to huge leaps and bounds of development with regards to the psychic network that would become the Bliss Realm, and without Rachel’s work, it would be safe to say the Bliss both in drug and psychic plane form, would likely not exist. Jessop as a name is potentially from a root name of Joseph in the form of Yosef, meaning “may God increase, or add (another son)” which ties into Rachel’s family’s thwarted desire for a son rather than a daughter very well in this AU. Thematically, Rachel does arguably share ideology from both Jacob and Joseph, so in a way that is also extremely apropos for her. Ah, Tracey. She did not come from a happy home life either—but that doesn’t surprise anyone in the slightest I think. Her father left her mother the moment he found out she was pregnant, and that’s all Tracey knows and wants to know of him. Her mother worked hard to support them but was absent most of the time, leaving Tracey with relatives to keep an eye on her. Said relatives were very shitty in their treatment of her, leading to a whole host of problems for Tracey to deal with growing up, ranging from neglect to verbal and emotional abuse. This is a cluster of reasons among others that lead to Tracey learning to look out for herself—and to stick up for those who couldn’t look after themselves. She and Rachel met in high school, and they were each other’s first real meaningful friend. It was when they were together that they first thought of the possibility of a better life than all the horror and terribleness they had to live through so far in their very young lives. They were so sure they’d be friends forever...until they weren’t. As of writing this, there are currently six major strains of the drug bliss in ACABH, including Regular Bliss, Sleeper’s Bliss, The Chosen’s Sacrement, The Angels’ Bliss, Cleanser Bliss, and Red Bliss. Variant strains within those major categories also exist as it’s an on-going series of projects for Faith and her followers, with varying levels of involvement from other Heralds, regions, etc. Red Bliss is specific to Jacob’s region and is used in both the Judgification process and the Trials. The others are all largely self explanatory for the most part, or explained or will be explained in the fic. Bliss darts! These are what John’s hunters use, same substrain of Sleeper Bliss that Jacob’s hunters and Faith’s followers use in the form of Bliss arrows and Bliss grenades (think like smoke grenades) to capture non-Project-members too, alongside their attempts to capture the Deputy. Joshua still has a nice stash of them at this point, so the whole family’s in on this. Commonly used even in the Project’s rank and file to subdue kidnapped targets. People can die permanently if they suffer sufficient psychic injury or psychic death in the Bliss in general, but that’s not a guarantee. If some form of psychic death is induced while the person is in the Bliss, it’s possible with immediate medical response to potentially resuscitate said person. Some people can “die” in the Bliss without problem though, aside from likely waking up in a panic as if from a very stressful nightmare. Most people can’t without being connected to the private Bliss network in Jacob’s region—Jacob’s is specifically split off from the rest of the Bliss Realm through the exclusive use of Red Bliss, though Faith and her priestesses could in theory cross over and connect to Jacob’s network, they generally do not. It is easier for Jacob’s people to cross over to the main Bliss network than it is for other rank and file or even Chosen that belong to other Heralds to enter the Red Bliss network if they are not induced into it through drug use. The Heralds have a much easier time of it, but it’s still difficult—Faith and Joseph have abilities that allow easier passage for it among other things, whereas John would struggle more with it sans other additional factors to help said effort along. Athalia was originally one of John’s people before she transferred to help support the previous Faiths, and Rachel retained her as Head Priestess from early on, striking up something like a friendship over time. Some of Athalia’s loyalties may still lie with her old Herald though moreso than her chosen Herald, certainly some of her outlook mirrors John’s dogma moreso than Faith’s, though Athalia keeps that underwraps more often than not. They have a SHIT TON of bliss being shipped around to the different regions. They have to have one hell of an industry for making the stuff to keep up with that scale, depending on what the chemical makeup and ratios are. The doc regarding the plotting of Faith’s arc is all spoilers, so we’re skipping any mention of it here. Angels are different from what the Project calls Lost Souls due to the fact that Angels aren’t 100% disconnected from their bodies and lost in the Bliss Realm, they’re still distantly connected to their corporeal forms in reality, just busy enjoying the Bliss high trip and for the most part uninterested in returning to the real world...for the most part. A minor part of the job for Faith’s people is to ensure that the Angels don’t wander too far in the Bliss realm, or else they’ll become Lost Souls and if gone too far for too long (average length of time spent too far required to become a Lost Soul is a little over a week), this separation can induce major multiple organ failure, including cardiac arrest. It is possible to revive a Lost Soul, much like with reviving someone who died a Bliss-plane death, but it requires that the person’s soul in the Bliss Realm be found and brought back immediately, to sustain the body without extensive external life support systems. Even then, brain death has been known to happen. What counts as “too far” varies from person to person, but the general rule of thumb is within shouting distance—namely, having the Angel’s psychic form in the Bliss Realm’s counterpart of the real world being within shouting distance of where the Angel’s physical body is in the waking world. Brief bouts of separation have not been noted to cause harm to Angels, so it’s fairly lax as duties go to shepherd their souls about and is often tasked to lower ranking Priestesses on the day to day basis. ————— Redshift Collision ————— Redshift Collision is a fun idea that spawned from a crossover fanfic idea I was considering a while ago before letting it evolve into its own original fantasy setting with sci-fi elements instead. It centers on a character named Edgar Loom, short for Loomis, which is his family name. A bit of cultural trivia about the name: The reason he’s called Loom instead of Loomis is because only the heads of a house may use the full family name, everyone else is introduced with a derivative surname. As Loom is next in line to be the head of their household, he is typically the one people refer to when using the name “Loom”, though casual use of the derivative name happens for applicable family members here and there as the situation calls for. First names are typically a much more private affair, and people typically have “use” names that they give when introducing themselves to others including but not limited to prospective business partners, strangers, distant family members, etc. Telling someone your given first name is seen as a huge sign of trust, the equivalent of saying that the other person is part of your inner circle. It is generally expected that first names not be given out prior to knowing someone for a socially acceptable amount of time (length of time not given because I’m not done working out the calendar yet.) Typically, the head(s) of house can use just the family name as their use name if desired, or if there are multiple heads of house then their own use name can be used either as a stand alone or combined with the famiy name. In Loom’s case, since he’s next in line, his use name is typically Loom by default, thus why he’s called that in the ensuing paragraphs. Loom is the only child of his parents, much beloved and happy with his lot in life, having spent his time apprenticed in order to learn how to take up his father and mother’s trade, namely overlooking the production of luxury textiles in the guild of weavers (you can imagine where their ancestors got the surname Loomis from.) Tragedy however has befallen their world in the last two decades, an unknown cataclysmic event has shorn the very fabric of reality in such alien angles, even the gods are left scrambling as they try to figure out what has happened—and what is happening. Despite the new dangers and unforeseen changes that continue to twist the fabric of their world however, life goes on. People still survive, and flourish, adapting as they can to the strangeness that has taken root upon their planet. However, one of the new shifts brought about in their world includes new diseases—plagues. One such disease is called Wraith Fade, so named for what a person becomes as the disease progresses, and how. It is unknown how Wraith Fade is transmitted, but it is widely suspected to be magical in some form, due to lack of evidence for it being transmitted through the more common corporeal means. Loom contracts Wraith Fade, and he and his family all know that it’s a death sentence—sufferers of Wraith Fade are typically observed to have a year or for the more robust two before succumbing to the disease. Typically, the course of treatment is for the afflicted persons to make good of their last days, and then to call for a doctor to help with euthanasia—most countries if not all sponsor covering costs for this procedure to varying degrees, due to the dangers that wraiths pose if left unchecked. And wraiths are very dangerous, and very hard to kill. One of the early to mid stage symptoms is what appears to be a magically-induced loss of voice—both medical professionals and thaumaturgical researchers are at a loss for the mechanics of it, as studies do not register readings of magical structures either natural or artificial that would induce a silence effect. Various treatments have been attempted, but no direct results have been observed thus far in the trials. Another symptom is what has been referred to as “greying”—specifically, a gradual fading into total translucency and loss of most forms of color in the afflicted person’s physical appearance. The silencing and greying that sufferers of Wraith Fade endure eventually comes to encompass most if not all sounds that they make towards the end of the disease’s incubation period, and coupled with the greying effect this translates into a near silent and visually obscured entity when the person loses themselves fully to wraithood. Older wraiths have been observed as occasionally being able to silence entire areas seemingly at will for brief periods of time, and some of the more markedly dangerous individual wraiths have even learned to disappear from sight completely in what appears to be true invisibility. Their hardiness and resistance to what would constitute mortal injury to many living beings also seems to be supernatural in origin, though it is yet one more area that eludes researchers and experts to a vexing degree. What makes wraiths so dangerous however is their penchant for hunting in sporadic and irregular patterns, and the predominant pattern of many wraiths taking to heavily populated areas as a preference. Why they hunt people is a mystery, as sufferers of Wraith Fade are noted as slowly losing sensations of hunger and thirst, and late stage sufferers going without either food or drink without succumbing to starvation or thirst beyond noted secondary effects. The individual modus operandi of a given wraith develops over time, to terrifying results. It is not unusual or imprudent for the public to break into mass hysteria should a murder occur in a city, with people fearing that a new wraith has taken up residence. It is for this reason that sufferers of Wraith Fade are at times persecuted and sometimes killed on sight by unruly mobs, so-called vigilantes, and at times even government-sanctioned organizations in some countries. It is dangerous to travel for both the afflicted and for others, should the afflicted’s health take a turn for the worse and their condition deteriorates faster into wraithood. There is no known cure for Wraith’s Fade—but there are rumors of one, in the strange and distant city-state of Wyrrawyr. Loom is however a soul defined by hope, in that moment of definition. He chooses to try and seek out this rumored cure, and he and his family and friends have a tearful goodbye, knowing this full well could be the last time they see each other in this life. Wyrrawyr is a strange place. It is the city of stained glass, the gateway to the Snowfeld Sea, the broken circle which once sat as the crown jewel of the mighty Hederan Empire, the land of a thousand sieges—and a land of the old ways. Wyrrawyr has been conquered many times, but no conqueror has ever met with good fortune when trying to rule that place. Ill fortune plagues any power that tries to rule that city for long, and Wyrrawyr has garnered a reputation as a place to avoid...not that everyone listens to such tales. It is known as a cursed place to many, but those brave souls who dare to call it home say otherwise. The local gods of Wyrrawyr in particular are strange in their antics when seen through the eyes of the more northern countries, but not so strange as the people—some of whom say the city itself is a divine being in its own right. It is for that reason first and foremost that the Northern Alliance calls it the city of heretics, proud and unyielding in their strange ways. But age-old feuds are reduced to mere distractions as the entire world shudders as the shifts seemingly grow more aggressive where once they were placid. The landscape of their home world seems to shift more drastically in a short span of time than ever it has before, and many are driven to terror at the thought that reality may be collapsing into an unrecognizable form of chaos as they watch the mechanics of their world come apart at the seams. Loom arrives to a sundered Wyrrawyr, as parted and torn with unknown magical phenomena as if a slip-strike earthquake had cracked the earth’s crust open. It is in a sundered Wyrrawyr that Loom meets Death. Specifically, the local Wyrrawyran incarnation of Death, who offers Loom a deal: stand as Death’s champion and agent to investigate the phenomenons, and to enact Death’s will in restoring a form of natural order back to their world—among Loom’s tasks should he accept is to find those souls spirited away by forces unknown. Gods unknown, perhaps, is Death’s suspicion. In exchange for Loom’s services, Death offers him an out that will spare him from dying from Wraith Fade—and this is the only way to avoid that fate and all the sinister after effects that come with it. But both their deal and the “cure,”—in so much as it can be called that—requires Loom to leave their home world, never to return again. Loom must go where Death cannot: into the new world that is slowly colliding with their own, the two ripping each other apart like the collision of galaxies into a new, singular galaxy. A world where magic is a foreign idea, and technology is the watchword of nearly all who live there. A world that is out of place. This collision shouldn’t have happened. These two worlds were not on a collision course—far from it, they had been moving away from each other in their shared planes of existence. That is why the gods of Loom’s world have taken to calling the matter the Redshift Collision. It is the possibility of survival and a world full of the unknown that Death offers, should Loom agree—or, as a mercy, the option of a swift, safe, and painless passing into death and the afterlife, if Loom would prefer to die in his home world while he is still himself. Loom accepts. And that’s the starting point for Redshift Collision’s story!

[chyrstis]

FC5 GFH Tag!

@sharky-broshaw​ and @shellibisshe​​ were lovely enough to tag me to see what my Dep would say as a formal FC5 Gun For Hire, and after spending most of the day thinking this over instead of writing, I think I’ve mostly nailed her down! ;)

Deputy Hana Vao

With Fangs for Hire

Boomer: “Whoa there, buddy! Aren’t you a sweetheart? God, I...I really wish Rae-Rae were here to say hi to you too, and see how good of a boy you’re being.”

Peaches: “I’m a cat person. I’m not a hundred percent sure it extends to being a big cat person, but I’m willing to try.” / *in a ridiculous voice while sneaking through the brush* “Who’s an adorable murder machine, yes, you are!”

Cheeseburger: “Whoever decided it’d be entirely possible and plausible for me to spend my free time hanging out with a bear, I’d like to give the biggest high-five to, because this? This is really fucking awesome.” / “I’ve always wondered if I’d have the chance to meet a local celebrity, and now I’ve met two! What are the odds of that?”

With other Guns for Hire

Sharky

*after inviting him* “Oh, now it’s a party.”

“So, apparently karaoke night at the Spread Eagle used to be a thing. You’ve been holding out on me! *both start trading stories about signature songs they used to pick, until they both settle on one and start singing along to it* *some of it’s good, most of it isn’t*

*after a fight* “That was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Do it again.” / “Hey, Shark? How about you dial it back a little next time? It kind of got a little too close for comfort there.”

“You know what they say about any big bads, right?” *along with Sharky* “If it bleeds, we can kill it! *laughs* God, you’re the best.”

Grace

“Hey, Grace? I know you mentioned last time that I really need to work on the whole sneaking, and being quiet, and-” “Not throwing a block of C4 at every problem you see?” “...Shit. I knew I might’ve forgotten something. Let me get back to you on that.”

“Grace? If I offered you twenty dollars to shoot [a hat off of a scarecrow, a can off of a fence, the helmet off of a Peggie, etc]. Would you do it?” *Grace asks if she’s that willing to go broke* “Maybe. I still think that would be pretty cool to see.”

Hurk

*calls Hana Ms. V* “Hurk! I thought we agreed not to go with that one!” *he throws out a slew of nicknames each one more absurd than the last* “...Um, okay. Maybe that one’s not so bad after all.”

“Hey, I have to ask. What’s with the chimps?”

*calls Hana Depu-Vee and pretends to relay a top-secret message* Hurk, hon. We’re face to face. I’m looking right at you. We don’t need codenames right now.

Adelaide

“I...that’s definitely a description I never thought I’d ever hear. Or visualize.”

“Okay, so I’m only going to say this once, but...” *speaks at a mile a minute* “Fuck John, Marry Faith, and Kill Jacob, and there’s nothing left for Joseph, so just fuck him in general. Done and done.”

Nick

“I swear to God, if you ever ask me to fly Carmina again I’m going to crash her. Not on purpose, I’m just that damn bad at it, so please. I beg of you, don’t.”

“How’s Kim doing? If you two need anything at all, don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

Jess

“Jesus, you’re a hell of a shot. Shooting an apple off of someone’s head would probably be nothing, huh?” *Jess asks if she’s volunteering* “It’s not that you aren’t a badass, because you totally are, but you know how some ideas look fun at first pass, but are probably a disaster in the making? That? That would be one of them.”

In Combat

Seeing an enemy: “You got eyes on them?”

Sneaking:*snaps a twig* “Shit! ...Um, shit. Sorry.”

Killing an enemy: "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!” / *if you score the hit* “Holy shit, that was a shot!”

Reviving: “It’s okay, I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” / “Hold on! Can’t have you dying on me now.”

Hurt: “Ow, motherfucker!” / “Jesus, walk it off. Just walk it off.” / *flamethrower, or Sharky* Shit! Nearly singed my hair...

Downed: “Really, really pissed that they made me bleed my own blood here.” / “Keep moving! Don’t worry about me! *pained sound* “Fuck!”

Driving

If asked to drive: “You sure? Well, buckle up and hold on tight. I promise I’ll try and be gentle.” / “God, this is really making me miss my bike.”

Reckless driving: “Jesus, now I know how Grace feels.” / “And here I thought you’d leave the stunt driving to old Clutch. I’m game if you are.”

Changing radio stations: *starts singing along if Barracuda’s playing* / *’if Oh John’ starts playing* “...Fucking asshole.” *sings an off-key, ‘bold and brave’ before making a sound of disgust*

Idle

“Hey, hon. How’re you holding up? Better than me, I hope, because I could really go for a cigarette. Might have to bum one off of Sharky the next time I see him.”

“You know, I’m not from around here. I’m from Detroit. Moved around a lot when I was young, so I don’t remember it well to begin with, but my mom took a lot of photos of it. Kept them all in a photo album for me to look at when I was older, and always told me we’d head back there someday to check them out again ourselves. ....Well, I’m about 95 percent certain that when the cult burned my apartment down, it might’ve taken that album with it. Pictures of those places. Of her. All of it up in smoke, just like that. So, here’s hoping there’ll be a Detroit left after all of this, depending on whether or not Joseph’s talking shit, or actually right. Because I’d really like to have a second chance to see all of that. And have a chance to honor her too.”

“I’m a city girl, so the silence out here is...it’s a little overwhelming. But I’d gladly take it over the sound of gunfire. This place is beautiful, and the kind of peaceful you don't really appreciate until it’s gone.”

Hard to believe I wouldn’t have ended up here at all if the Sheriff hadn’t taken a chance on me. He’ll say differently, but there’s a reason why Staci called me-calls me Rook, and why Joey always took the time to answer every single silly question I had. I didn’t have a whole lot of experience before heading here, and...they made it all worth the risk on my end too. Made me feel welcome when anyone else would’ve just shown me the door, and I’ll do damn near anything to get them back.

Location-Specific:

By any body of water: *voice pitched higher than normal* “Hey, you’re not-that’s looking pretty deep. Think I’ll um, hang close to the shore just in case.” *wanders around it, but never enters it*

At the Spread Eagle: *hanging close to either Mary May by the bar* *Mary May jokes about Hana spending more time talking to her than drinking* “Hey, I’m sparing you both the bad dancing and the bad flirting! Trust me, you don’t want to see either.” / *if by the jukebox in the back, can be found swaying to whatever’s playing*

After liberating the Radio Towers: “I really need to talk to Wheaty about getting Queen on the radio here, because we’re suffering from a real lack of that. Tell me you wouldn’t be ready and willing to kick all kinds of ass after listening to them for a bit.” / *near a Wolf Beacon while it’s blaring* “Jesus, Jacob really took a page out of every horror movie here, didn’t he? Note to self, stay far, far away from these at night.”

In the Henbane: “You want to trust your eyes. You also want to trust your ears, and every last bit of sense you’ve got, but here? You can't. And that honestly scares the shit out of me.” / “You see Faith too, don’t you? Right at the corner of your vision before you blink and she’s gone? Word of advice? Don’t approach her or talk to her. You’ll like what she has to say at first, but...not so much the wolverine taking a piece out of you afterwards.”

At Seed Ranch by the Boat Launch: *if present when Sharky drops the dingus line, she starts giggling until she snorts*

In Holland Valley: “Can you do me a favor? If you ever decide to do a little redecorating - like, say, make modifications to a giant, white three-letter sign up in the mountains - take me with you. Because pissing John off’s really what keeps me going, and lighting that ‘Yes’ sign up would be a thing of beauty.” / *later when John calls post-destruction she mouths, ‘Oh shit’ while 100% making this face:

Tagging: @amistrio @ma-sulevin @shallow-gravy​ @foofygoldfish @guileandgall​ @ofravensandgenesis​ @fadedjacket​ @seedlingsinner @teamhawkeye​ @redroci​ @risenlucifer​ @tomexraider​ @finefeatheredgamer​ @narcis-the-monk​ @scarlettkat86 @hawkfurze @raisinghellinotherworlds @fromathelastoveritaserum @shelliechen and anyone else that’s interested! I’d love to see your GFHs, so totally tag me if you do!

[belorage]

Wes for the full clear on the OC asks? 😘😘😘

— OC QUESTIONS

BASICS

What’s their full name? Wesley Daniel Brooks

What does their name mean? Why were they named that? Wesley means “western meadow,” Daniel means “God is my judge,” and Brooks means “stream.” You can find my real world reasoning for choosing his name here. As for the canon reasoning, Wesley is a family name on his father’s side and Daniel is a good Christian name. 

Do they have any nicknames? Lots. Wes is the big one (Hwes if you’re Hurk Jr.), Rook, Dep (Deputy if you're as extra as John Seed), Bright Eyes (Raf only), Sundance (Nick only), Darling (Lyra, when she’s being cheeky), and probably a handful more that I’m forgetting.

How old are they? 28, almost 29 as of the start of FC5.

When’s their birthday? November 11, 1989

What’s their zodiac sign/element/birthstone/etc.? Do they believe that holds any significance? Scorpio sun, Aries moon, Aquarius rising. Year of the snake. Birthstones are topaz and citrine. He isn’t aware enough of any of this to believe in it.

What’s their species/subspecies? Do they have any special/magical abilities? He is a natural disaster in human form. His special ability is that he somehow manages to survive that for as long as he does.

What “class” do they belong to (for fantasy characters)? If none, what weapon do they favor? A revolver (Steel & Ivory), a sawed-off shotgun (Sin Eater), or basic hand-to-hand. Close combat is preferable to range. He also uses homemade C4 in his tireless crusade against cult infrastructure.

APPEARANCE

What do they look like? He’s 6′3″, has brown-ish hair (specifically, a warm golden bronze color) and hazel eyes with long eyelashes. Fit, moderate-to-lean build. Sharp features, angular jaw, a pronounced Cupid’s bow. He has the facial hair of a man who has forgotten to shave for two weeks, because he is—you guessed it—a man who has forgotten to shave for two weeks.

Do they have a face claim? Tomas Skoloudik

What’s their style like? Clothes, hair, makeup? Casual clothing—flannels (often tied around the waist), t-shirts, henleys, jeans, boots, jewelry (gold, leather), leather jacket, cargo jacket. His hair is messy and soft, just like he is, because he doesn’t overload it with hair products unlike some people. He’s got an ouroboros tattooed around the lower part of his right forearm and (universe-dependent) John and Lyra’s names on the inside of his wrists.

How do they carry themselves? What’s their default expression? He attempts to project swagger and indifference, but to anyone who knows him and is paying attention, he’s an open book. In a comfortable environment, he’s loose and casual. His default expression is fixated if he has something to occupy his mind and distant if he doesn’t.

Do they have any physical ailments or disabilities? No, but he’s got bruises and flesh wounds aplenty! He’s got bite marks and scratches galore! You want knife-slashing scars? He’s got twenty. But who cares? No big deal. Wes wants mooooore! 🎵

PERSONALITY

What’s their alignment? Chaotic Good/Chaotic Neutral

Which one of the 16 Personality Types do they fit into? ISFP

What are their hobbies and interests? Do they have any particular “favorites” (food, books, and so on)? I answered for his favorite films and TV here, and his favorite book is Watership Down. He likes the Beatles and bar snacks and black coffee. His favorite cultists are Lyra, John, and Shaggy—please don’t judge him.

What are they bad at? Dancing!

What kind of things do they dislike/hate? Hates being controlled, dislikes very sweet things.

Do they have any vices/addictions/mental illnesses? Impulsiveness, reactive behaviors. He smokes and drinks, although neither of those are done with a shocking amount of excess. Previously, harder drugs. 

What are their goals and motivations? Freedom and acceptance.

What are their manners like? Any habits? He’s not a jerk; he has passable manners when the situation calls for them, but Emily Post would like him not. His habits are covered in much more detail here, but the big one is that he tends to busy his hands and/or mouth with things wherever possible.

What are they most afraid of? Rejection, abandonment, enclosed spaces, death (specifically, the possibility of an afterlife). 

BACKGROUND

Where were they born? What was their childhood like? Born in Hope County. He was an only child and his home life was suspect, but made moderately more bearable by his best friend. Once he realized trying to please his father was a losing battle, he said hell yeah to a downward spiral of rebelliousness and troublemaking.

What’s their family like? His dad was a jerk of the sort that would never be satisfied. Big on toxic masculinity, short on acceptance. His mother loved him, but she fell in line more often than not.

What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold? Hope County Sheriff’s Office (probationary sheriff’s deputy), Hope County Resistance (figurehead, pot stirrer, problem magnet). 

How do they fit into their “story”? Barely. Next question. I hate to use this word yet again, but it’s the only one that fits: his story is mostly about acceptance—self, fate, fault, sorrow, joy—because as much as he desired acceptance from others, he denied a lot of it for himself.

Where do they currently live? What’s their place like? He grew up in the Silver Lake trailer park, way up on the northeastern end of Holland Valley, near the Whitetails. For the duration of the game timeline, I picture him spending more time crashing where he can—with the Ryes, in the woods, wherever—but his own place would be sparse and fairly untidy, with clothes tossed everywhere. 

How do they eventually die? Wesley intends to live forever. How dare you insinuate—

RELATIONSHIPS

Do they have any friends? Would they consider anyone to be their best friend? Within the timeline of the game, he has quite a few. Raf is his best friend (and has been since they were kids), but Nick (and Kim) are both up there. He has a soft spot for Mary May; that seems to be reciprocal. He appreciates Grace because she doesn’t ask unnecessary questions. Sharky and Hurk offer unconditional friendship, which he appreciates and sorely needs. Adelaide is the vodka aunt who thirsts after his ex. She tries to rile him up sometimes (in a myriad of ways), but he likes her. And if you account for other universes, his friend count goes way up thanks to the various and sundry brat squad kids.

What’s their friend group like? What role do they play in it? When he was younger, he was the introvert-adopted-by-an-extrovert. He was a bit too withdrawn to have friends outside of that, though he wasn’t unfriendly. For a bulk of the current timeline, his friend group is “ragtag misfits” status and he basically gets ping-ponged between them as they try—with varying amounts of success—to fight a cult.  

What’s their love life like? (See also: ship question meme.) Do they have any kids? Depends on the universe. In canon, it’s messy but becomes significantly healthier later on. His previous relationship was promising and likely would have been ideal, except that they were young and unable (or unready) to deal with the realities of their situation. In AU, he is enemies-with-benefits but also grossly in love with the Judge of Eden’s Gate and her husband (who was a fun surprise, but it’s fine, because Wes got Lyra back by giving her a gracious two-for-one deal on children)!

Who do they look up to? Who do they trust? Whitehorse is something of a father figure, though Wes would never say that out loud. For the record, neither would Whitehorse (at least not directly to Wes)—mostly for Wes’s benefit. He trusts Raf, Pastor Jerome, and the rest of his friends listed above.

Who do they hate? Do they have any enemies? Joseph, because Joseph is daddy issues incarnate. Jacob, because Jacob understands Wes well enough to yank him around like a dog on a leash. By the time the Collapse hits, everyone is his enemy to some extent (as evidenced by the adorable horns and pointy tails drawn all over his wanted posters). Notable exceptions are John, Sharky, Hurk, and Whitehorse; however, all but the first are functionally unknown to him.

Do they have any pets? Just Boomer, who is the best emotional support animal a disaster could ask for.

Are they good with kids? Animals? He’s naturally good with both children and animals, but he lacks practical experience, especially with the former (shout-out to the Ryes for finally adding that to his resume).

FUN FACTS

Which tropes do they fit? Which archetypes? Tropewise, he’s Troubled, but Cute and I can’t refute it; apart from the high school thing, it’s a full BINGO clear. He’s also Bruiser with a Soft Center, Inferiority Superiority Complex, Cosmic Plaything, Desperately Craves Affection, Hero with Bad Publicity, I Am Not My Father, and almost certainly a whole host of shameful others that I don’t dare brave the rest of TVTropes to find. Of the twelve classic archetypes, he’s some combination of The Hero and The Outlaw. Otherwise: fallen angel, antihero, byronic hero, prodigal son. 

Do they play any instruments? Sports? He can play guitar, but only at an intermediate level. He’s not big on sports, but he can ice skate and he likes to swim.

What are some items they always carry? Steel & Ivory and a lighter; later, Sin Eater. In New Dawn he carries John’s watch.

Do they collect anything? Bad decisions. Minicultists, apparently. Nothing in particular.

What position do they sleep in? His default position when he’s alone and in a comfortable place is on his belly. There are exceptions listed in greater detail here.

Which emoji would they use the most? Honestly, he’s not really the type to use emojis, but he will send his love interest pictures of things he likes or finds pretty with no context. Otherwise, his texts tend to be short, to-the-point, and lacking in punctuation or capitalization. Believe it or not, he’d much rather communicate in person. My most frequently used emojis for him are 🍰 and 🐍. (Awww, cake and snake... They rhyme. How precious!)

What languages do they speak? English. He knows a limited amount of Spanish, but he’s better at understanding it than he is at speaking it.

What’s their favorite expletive? Damn or fuck.

What’s their favorite candle scent? Pine.

What songs remind you of them? I have a playlist for him here, but it—much like him—is a bit of a mess. I also have a playlist based on his own taste in music here.

Which animal would you say represents them? Snakes, stags, swans, scorpions.

What stereotypical high school clique would they fit into? Loners or troublemakers, probably. Stoners on a technicality—he doesn’t fit the stereotype, but he does have a history. He has some of the soul of an art kid but, tragically, none of the talent.

What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be? At a real amusement park, probably the roller coasters. At something more lowkey like a carnival, he’d like the classic, aesthetically pleasing rides like the Ferris wheel or the carousel.

Do they believe in aliens? Ghosts? Reincarnation or something else? He’s not an “I Want to Believe” sort of guy, but he still can’t explain the Larry Parker debacle. He tries very hard not to believe (or at least not to think about) any sort of afterlife, because he fears it.

Do they follow any religions/gods? Do they celebrate holidays? His family was Catholic, but he endeavors not to be. He likely wouldn’t celebrate holidays as a bachelor overmuch, but he would take part in holiday activities with others.

Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue? Pride and Fortitude.

If you had to choose one tarot card to represent them, which would it be? The Tower, The Devil, The Wheel of Fortune.

[florbelles]

lyra and john for the ship ask?

thank you lovely! 💕

GENERAL

rate the ship awful | ew | no pics pls | i’m not comfortable | alright | i like it! | got pics? | let’s do it! | why is this not getting more attention?! | the otp to rule all other otps

how long will they last? as long as some part of either of them exists tbh

how quickly did/will they fall in love? when i say they have no chill and lyra moved into the ranch after living in hope county for two weeks i mean it

how was their first kiss? john’s nose bled, next question

WEDDING

who proposed? technically john. sort of. ( i’m sorry for this long answer but i haven’t really discussed it so ) lyra had already joined the project, lived with john, begun her training with jacob, and had taken up the rudimentary form of what would eventually become her role as the judge. it had only been a few months, but joseph believed he recognized her from his visions and wanted to bring her into the family Officially; at this point john and lyra were already 100% in it and he was straight up like if she’s going to become a seed it’s going to be through me, because, well, john. lyra just looked at him when he came to her with it and said “what of it? are you not my husband? am i not your wife?” and that was that; lyra doesn’t live by half-measures, she was married in every way that mattered to her the second she stepped across that threshold with her bags. ( well. shaggy carried the bags. but you get it. )

who is the best man/men? no one, but if you listened carefully you could hear shaggy sobbing outside the church. is he happy for them or crushed by the revelation he’s really stuck with both of them forever now? who can say!

who is the bride’s maid(s)? no one; faith was Not pleased when she heard lyra had gone and married her brother without telling her ( but it would have been her, if they’d had attendees. )

who did the most planning? there wasn’t much, but john ( and joseph, i suppose, since he officiated. )

who stressed the most? the only one who had any amount of stress was john.

how fancy was the ceremony? back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 ( i’ve been informed inflation adjustment was necessary by virtue of lyra’s aura ) | 4 | normal church wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

who was specifically not invited to the wedding? everyone, with the exception of joseph by necessity; while the significance of the two most extra drama fiends to ever step into the valley having the most understated ceremony in existence could be elaborated on with sentimentality — they can come as they are with each other, etc etc — it was partly a tactical move; lyra couldn’t fairly well maintain her cover with the locals if she publicly married john seed in an elaborate ceremony. they intend to have one officially in the new eden with all of the family and faithful; they never get that chance.

SEX

who is on top? either/or tbh

who is the one to instigate things? either/or

how healthy is their sex life? barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | they are humping each other on the couch right now

how kinky are they? straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head ( no horse head necessary in the sex dungeon. just kidding. they don’t have a sex dungeon they just hook up in the normal torture one )

how long do they normally last? before everything went to hell, as long as they want ( rip, get the ice packs ); after the reaping begins, as long as they have

do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? okay listen i’m going to be brutally honest, they fuck a lot, they’re not counting but they’re not complaining

how rough are they in bed? softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | the bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make dwayne johnson blush. also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it. ( their walls are premium )

how much cuddling/snuggling do they do? no touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | a little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | they snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory. ( lyra is actually the biggest offender but she blames his needy ass. also if she knows you know this she’ll commit homicide. this is not hyperbole )

CHILDREN

how many children will they have naturally? none. ( in aus they do; one in the cult wins verse because lyra’s iud expired but she was not willing to sacrifice her sex life, and fairbrookseed have three; the twins via wes and a younger son via john. )

how many children will they adopt? three at the beginning of the reaping — boomer, peaches & cheeseburger. ( john unwilling. )

who gets stuck with the most diapers? not applicable, but hypothetically shaggy

who is the stricter parent? it would have been john

who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? it would have been john; lyra would have taught them the dangerous stunts they’re doing after school

who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? it would have been shaggy

who is the more loved parent? the furbabies love lyra more. obviously.

who is more likely to attend the pta meetings? it wOULD HAVE BEEN JOHN

who cried the most at graduation? same answer; lyra would have waited until they got home and then cried in the shower for an hour

who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? either/both, but in practice probably john

COOKING

who does the most cooking? neither/shaggy; lyra if you count her Attempts when she staggers in at 3am after hunting sinners or gathering intel at the spread eagle

who is the most picky in their food choice? john; lyra behaves like she is but in fact thinks it will be a shame when casey’s non-testicle related recipes are lost when he burns in the collapse

who does the grocery shopping? neither; lyra’s the most likely to bring things back from town, but it’s usually liquor she swiped from the bar ( so that mary may can’t sell it, of course! )

how often do they bake desserts? they don’t bake

are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? whatever shaggy puts in front of them; it’s probably meat and it’s probably unfortunate

who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? john, but he’s only responsible for the theatrics; everything was 100% still prepared by the flock

who is more likely to suggest going out? for the truly exceptional hope county cuisine, served in businesses they definitely didn’t try to get shut down, in which they are most definitely both still welcome and could appear together without blowing her cover and/or getting shot on sight? neither. in a “let’s physically go out by the fire pit” sense, lyra.

who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? honestly, both of them, because in the event they were cooking one of them probably decided to be distracting~ while they waited~ and oh no they forgot about it oh no everything’s on fire oh no shaggy put it out oh no shaggy how could you let this happen

CHORES

who cleans the room? shaggy

who is really against chores? both to an extent, but especially lyra

who cleans up after the pets? neither, but since john philosophically opposes their presence in the first place and tries to ship them off to jacob every tuesday, it sure as hell ain’t him

who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? if, inexplicably, they’re sweeping, it’s lyra, both proverbially and literally

who stresses the most when guests are coming over? if the guest is joseph ( or even jacob ), JOHN. otherwise they’re unconcerned.

who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? a dollar? one (1) dollar? john keeps literal stacks of thousands of dollars in cash just sitting around. the answer is hopefully not the resistance.

MISC

who takes the longer showers/baths? john ( but lyra usually joins. )

who takes the dog out for a walk? shaggy, boomer has almost taken his leg off on fifty separate occasions. ( it’s lyra. )

how often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? canonically they never have the opportunity, really, but lyra probably would have decorated for the winter holidays. some mistletoe on the antlers, a garland on that sinner corpse hanging out by the porch. beautiful.

what are their goals for the relationship? to make it to new eden, tbh. they found unconditional love in each other when that was an impossibility for them for most of their lives; they just want to keep what they have and prove themselves worthy.

who is most likely to sleep till noon? JOHN. lyra’s up before dawn every day ( and drags him out of bed to watch the sunrise with her; he’s very excited for the apocalypse. )

who plays the most pranks? pranks? lyra, but not the funny sort, it’s like...whoops, sorry, i forgot to mention i was roasting sinners out back, the grounds will smell like burning flesh for a bit! did you bring home any flayed skin today? <3 ( i jest, it’s more to the effect of “the sinners were terribly dull today so to amuse myself i told them i heard rumors about the judge and the reason they didn’t know you had a wife is because you kept her locked in a sex dungeon. also, adelaide wants you to spank her. how went the confessions?” )

[blissfulalchemist]

2 and 19 from each of the OC development questions? 😊

Okay I am going to do three of my OCs for this one. I will do Chance, Hypatia, and Liz! Thank you so much for asking my dear!

Hypatia Caro

2. Can your oc play any instruments? Have they ever wanted to learn how to play any? Why?

She cannot play an instrument, unless you count the bongos she messes with from time to time when she would come across groups of other travelers. Other than that she never had much interest in learning an instrument, but she admires those that play them.

19. If your oc were to be arrested for something, what would it be for? For being too kind, for a legitimate crime?

Hypatia is on the run as she escaped from an organization that was created to help the human world from intermingling too much with the vampiric one so at any moment she very well would be arrested for that. I mean it doesn’t help that there was some property damage and broken bones along the way out but that’s hardly her worry. Hypatia would be arrested for a legitimate crime as she’s not afraid to do things like commit arson, shoot a weapon, fight her way out of a situation, steal, and overall do what needs to be done to survive. She cares but she finds that the law can be flexible in the name of survival.

2. Does your oc have dreams or nightmares? What are they like? Is there a recurring one?

Tia has a mix of both dreams and nightmares, though once the events of her story start she has more nightmares than dreams. The Alchemists were far from kind and before that there was a near death experience with her Coven, so she has some issues there. 

19. If someone was describing your oc to someone who had never met them, what distinguishing features would they mention? How would one identify your oc in a crowd?

People would start with her hair that has highlights in it to make it look like an oil slick in the sunlight. She’s also quite tall standing at 5′9″ with the occasional heeled boots. Her style is also one that unless you’re at a music festival like Coachella you’ll spot her as she loves to wear her fish net tights, shorts, tank tops, and her jean jacket with some patches on it. The other most definable feature on her is the golden lily tattoo that wraps around her left hand and does shine as it is actual gold in the ink. (There are a few other tattoos that I have yet to decide on but that’s her major one)

2. Can your oc play any instruments? Have they ever wanted to learn how to play any? Why?

Chance cannot play an instrument. He tried to learn how to play electric guitar but to no avail as he didn’t have the patience or time to really commit to it. He sometimes contemplates learning but he doesn’t ever really go through with it. 

19. If your oc were to be arrested for something, what would it be for? For being too kind, for a legitimate crime?

Chance has gotten arrested before for drunken disorderly, noise complaints while at parties, and public intoxication. Surprisingly he never got arrested for stealing a car and going on a joy ride at night. Once sober Chance tries to stay on the straight and narrow but when you have friends like Sharky and Hurk Jr. well it can be hard at times.  

2. Does your oc have dreams or nightmares? What are they like? Is there a recurring one?

Chance never had nightmares until the reaping, after that its a near constant stream of them ranging from his death, death of his father, friends, and Faith, the various tortures of Jacob, John, and even Faith. The nightmares don’t stop once its all over either and Chance can be too proud to go and get help for something like PTSD. 

19. If someone was describing your oc to someone who had never met them, what distinguishing features would they mention? How would one identify your oc in a crowd?

He’s got a scar on the back of neck, just off of the center. Chance also has chemical formulas on his left hand and a chemical structure on his right hand that looks like a mountain range. There’s one more tattoo on his back between his shoulder blades that’s a crescent moon with a rose rising up in front of it look like the Sailor Moon’s Moon Stick with the Silver Crystal attached to it. He’s also got some brown hair that never seems to stay as it should with some of the curls sticking up as if he’s just woken up(which is honestly probably the truth). Other than that he can be very nondescript.

2. Can your oc play any instruments? Have they ever wanted to learn how to play any? Why?

Liz can play the guitar! She’s actually pretty good for someone that was mostly self taught in main canon. She picked it up while she waited for her mom to pick her up from school as a small child and the teacher helped in showing her some very basic skills. After that she just took off with wanting to learn and teaching herself, more so once she found her passion for social justice and wanting to play the songs of power and bringing forth the new age. She loses the amount of time to practice as she starts high school but she plays and sings alone or around her best friend Val.

19. If your oc were to be arrested for something, what would it be for? For being too kind, for a legitimate crime?

Liz would be arrested for protesting and her direct actions that can be taken in the name of doing the right thing. She gets away with it a lot when she’s younger but does have to learn restraint as she gets older, but she still gets away with it a lot of times as she becomes a lawyer for this reason specifically. So yes Liz would be arrested for legitimate crimes against the system. 

2. Does your oc have dreams or nightmares? What are they like? Is there a recurring one?

Liz has mostly dreams, even after nearly killing Joseph she is young enough and gets the help early enough to not have the level of nightmares her mom has. Liz does have a reoccurring dream when she’s stressed or hasn’t gotten enough sleep, that involves her trying to search for her mom in a fog/mist turning into her child self and at times when she finds her mom, Cat disappears from her or the face changes to something more scary. 

19. If someone was describing your oc to someone who had never met them, what distinguishing features would they mention? How would one identify your oc in a crowd?

Look for the brightest, loudest, and most out there prints and colors and you’ve spotted her. To really confirm that it’s her she has a scar on her upper lip on the left side of her face, its not huge but its still fairly noticeable. Though go for the clothes first and she’s hard to miss in the crowd, she also can stand a lot taller as she wears white go go boots almost everywhere.

[deathvalleyqueen]

⌛️ 👽 🔥 🧦 👻 🏡 + mj 💋

Thank you dear <3 You know how much I always love to scream about my Queen...

⌛ for an alternate universe headcanon - 

MJ is part of a few... but one of my favorites is her little side character role in the Turtleverse. Her and Whit have a very passive/aggressive, overly kind to each other’s face frenemies relationship gives me life... It’s very different from the dynamic she has with other people in her other verses. She is at her most bitchy and catty (and prime Hipster Jesus Charles Manson hating) self in this verse but at the same time she is still the same big hearted person... like she may not get along with Whit, but she does feel bad for her being in the situation she is with Joseph, John has his issues... but the man is devoted to his tiny, big haired wife in every verse they are together (I make the rules *insert evil laugh*)... Whit... has... the manbun... also because Sean is more the focus of this verse I get to explore more of that fun sibling dynamic they have...the amount of Sarcasm in the verse... is staggering. Also... probably the most wholesome verse overall. 

👽 for a beliefs headcanon -

My girl... is deeply superstitious about certain things. Black Cats are obviously not one of them... *gestures to Salem* but other things like wearing hats in the house but more specifically she has around things she grew up viewing as like ill omens. One of major note in the plot is shortly before the Marshalls show up and the Reaping begins... MJ has the windows open and a bird flies into the house and lands on the chair at the dinning table the Jimmy sits at. She freaks out because it’s a Magpie because a single one is considered unlucky... but a bird flying into her house... was a sign to her that someone she loved was going to die... 

🔥 for a dislikes headcanon -

OOF, my girl dislikes a lot of things... but nothing more than Joseph. One of the first things says when she is alone with Joseph is “You can Con a Conman.” in refrance to her being taught a lot of her father’s plays and that she knows what he is doing. This really starts the whole feud that ends up being part of the reason PEG implodes.

She in fact doesn’t trust him from the moment he walks into their lives. He knew too much about her family (specifically her father) which honestly freaks MJ out enough to leave a very long and lasting impression. Her and Jimmy really don’t trust his intentions with coming back into John’s life and it actually takes a massive amount of convincing with a hefty addition of guilt on John’s part to get MJ to agree to allow Joseph to comes stay with them. She still is not happy about this and is not welcoming in the least to Joseph for sometime. This causes problems between her and John, particular as John starts funding Joseph’s vision. It’s not till Bobby finds Jacob... and MJ goes with them to see if it’s really him that she even softens the slightest towards Joseph. 

🧦 for a domestic headcanon - 

Her and John’s private life at home is shockingly domestic, they really do settle into a very quite life at Ranch in the years before the Reaping when the twins are small before Rose is born. MJ takes up baking and gardening as a hobby which she really enjoys. They try to piece together as much family time as possible with the kids when they are small. MJ by default spends more time with the twins and she tries her hardest (and fails more often than not) to try to be that picture perfect pintrest and intagram mom. Always trying to do they most creative little things with twins...which almost always ends up with a massive mess and twins covered in some form of slime or occasionally glitter. She really tries... at at least the kids have fun...

👻 for a fear headcanon -

Her biggest fear may be losing the people she loves - but a minior fear... that is really just a small quirk I love. Is she petrified of worms. It stems from her brothers putting a whole container of nightcrawlers in her hair on a family fishing trip when she was 4 and it made this massive impression on young MJ. Her brothers still will taunt her with even gummy worms (throwing them at her, putting them on her shoulder, ect) to get a rise out of her. MJ hates this. So much...

🏡 for a house headcanon - 

The Ranch is her domain, that’s her castle... John obviously had a say in how the house was decorated but the final say was MJs. She tried to keep with style so it’s not exactly what she wanted but she is very proud of the home she was able to make. One of the biggest differences from the Canon Ranch to MJ’s is just it’s warmer. There is more life in the house. It’s less of a base and more of a home. There are handmade blankets laying over the back of the couch, toys scattered across the house (that when John steps on them he swears he is going to throw them all out - but could never because he wouldn’t be able to stand seeing his kids that upset), definitely more of a family oriented home. Kids drawings on the fridge. Like there is obviously a very happy family living there at first glance which really works well with some stuff I have planned for after the Ranch gets taken... so yeah. 

[absolveres]

griimreaping asked: 💗💑💯🏩

( @griimreaping / sex & romance headcanons )

💗 Has my muse ever been in love?

this depends heavily on his verse. he does have a ship where he was in love and he is capable of love (albeit this subject is a mess in most cases and john’s capacity for love is limited af ). in one verse, he fell in love, but that’s something heavily plotted out. 

but in verses where there are no ships plotted out and it’s not an interaction where his ships are recognized, then no. he’s never been in love, he’s had a lot of flings, been with a lot of people. but john has limited capacity for empathy. so romantic attraction and love are difficult. and he didn’t open himself up much for that in his past.

💑 What are my muse’s requirements for a potential partner?

oh boy, he has to really trust the person and see them as an equal ( his ego is fucking unreal okay ). if we’re talking his main verse, you have to have mad respect for his family too and for the project. if you disrespect joseph, jacob, or faith?? it won’t work. he’ll defend joseph and jacob specifically until his last breath. he won’t put up with someone undermining his faith or their group.

💯 What is my muse’s ideal date?

he doesn’t do a lot of dating. in his modern and past verses, he likes bars and clubs a lot. food and drinking? 👌🏻 honestly just spending time with someone in a personal capacity. he’s a show off, so give him somewhere he can flex his interests. or just somewhere he can let go of everything else.

🏩 What was my muse’s first time like?

( TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS ANSWER: abuse mention, religious abuse mention, shame regarding sex in general is present below. i’m covering as many bases as possible here bc i know this is a super sensitive topic )

oh man man man. hurried, rushed, and afterwards, john would’ve had immense guilt. i headcanon that his first time happened before he left for university. so, he’s still very much under the watchful eyes of his parents, still heavily influenced by their values and full of fear about what they may or may not find out. fearful and guilty enough that he probably felt sick once he was alone.

the dichotomy of someone who’s just being normal in a relationship with views forced on him by his parents that would make his first time complex af.

sex before marriage would’ve been highly highly discouraged. but alone time with a girl?? lmao not in the duncan’s household. i headcanon john’s first experience wasn’t with a girl, period. which i’m not going too much into his bisexuality or feelings towards his sexuality here ( bc this is a first time experience, not an essay ).

but, the first time itself? it was probably fine during. like i said, hurried and nothing to sing praises about later. the guy was probably always a secret, someone from school or church, bc his parents would trust when he was spending time that they were “just friends.” aside from all the shitty feelings after, this would be one of the most normal experiences that john’s had. and that was so important to him at the time, just to have normalcy. so the actual act was fine, the relationship was completely normal, but the kind of young dating that didn’t last. 

[lucacangettathisass]

/waddles in/ I know nothing about far cry but if you wanna talk about your stuff, then I'm all ears. let it all out~~~

THANK YOU MIA.

so, here’s the thing. faith seed represents a lot of things to coco.

on the one hand, she’s an example of the Woman Of Faith Who Achieves A High Rank/Immense Respect Within Her Sect Despite What Appears To Be Misogyny And Patriarchy In Other Areas Of It. while the cult has female members, and some of the cult VIPs are women, faith is the only female herald, and while you can argue it’s because she’s a seed, the fact of the matter is that she actually isnt. ‘faith seed’ was a role specifically made up by joseph, which makes coco feel all sorts of weird and lends itself to the whole misogyny and patriarchy thing, this iteration of faith seed at least seems to have made the role her own, proving herself to be valuable with the creation of bliss. coco grew up catholic, they are very familiar with how organized christianity at large can be very sexist and restrictive towards women, despite the number of women that played important roles in the early years of christianity, so they have an innate, almost automatic fondness for women who carve out places for themselves within christian organizations (or in this case, cult). (also i mean.....when was the last time women were treated well in a christian cult? they tend to be viewed as second class citizens, so the project is rather unique in that regard, along with others.)

on the other, faith seed is also an example of the Ideal Christian Woman. she’s beautiful, demure, obedient, hospitable (at least more hospitable than john and jacob one can argue), and most of all, white. as a poc, coco has grown up well aware of racial tensions and divides, no matter how much the country and society they grew up in tried to hide it. they grew up seeing mary and all the other biblical women as white, the most important women in their church were white, the female saints that coco most idolized? all white. so the image that coco had of the Ideal Christian Woman was of a beautiful white woman, and it was what they so desperately tried to be, back when they still identified as catholic and a woman. a part of coco still wants to be that, because ever since coming out and leaving the church (at least officially speaking, they still feel rather catholic at times), theyve lost some friends, and some relatives wont even speak to them, and it hurts. they want what faith has (or appears to have, symbolically speaking), desperately, purely because it would just make life so much easier.

and, perhaps rather interestingly enough, coco thinks that faith is the one most deserving of redemption, mostly because they think she’s the one most likely to take it. as stated before, she isnt actually a seed, rachel jessop is still in there somewhere, and coco is sure that after some deprogramming, they can find rachel again, locked away somewhere dark and deep, a place only faith and joseph know about. of course there are plenty of people who argue this point, and coco doesnt really get into debates about it, they just say their piece and leave it, after all they havent been hurt by faith, directly or indirectly, and they dont want to be insensitive to the people have been hurt by her. theyve heard about rachel jessop, and coco thinks she was manipulated by joseph when she was in a vulnerable state, like so many others were, and that faith should at least get a second chance, even if it would be a....leap of faith.

(i had to do it and i refuse to apologise)

honestly there is a lot of Complicated Stuff surrounding coco’s feelings around faith seed, and it mostly stems from their catholic background and their need to protecc, and not because theyre gay like everyone thinks. i mean yeah coco can acknowledge that faith seed is beautiful and attractive, but they really dont have a crush on her, just Complicated Feelings.

[darkling-er]

Far Cry 5 Headcanon: coffee or tea

John Seed:

John is typically that person that wherever he goes he asks for the most fanciest coffee, with such specific instructions, that the restaurant has to make him at least 5 before he's satisfied

But he can't make a proper coffee for himself at home, EVER

But he complains whenever Jacob just gives him a cup of black coffe like

"I can't drink this, Jacob! Look at it!..And the smell!"

He ends up drinking whatever Faith makes

Jacob Seed:

I think Jacob wants everyone to think he's a grumpy old man, drinking black coffee and saying some odd shit with it like "I drink it black, like my soul"

But actually I think he dislikes coffee and only drinks it when he thinks it's nesecary for him to stay awake

But I think because of his PTSD and nightmares he barely sleeps at all, so he would rather not keep drinking something that will make him even more sleep deprived

He likes hot chocolate

And he makes some really good hot chocolate to top that all

"don't tell john!" though, cause he will surely get teased about it

Joseph Seed:

Joseph likes coffee just as much as every other regular person

He drinks a cup of it every morning, though he forgets about it, he won't be bothered

But he LOVES tea, especially the ones Faith makes

Actually I think he would drink hot tea on the hottest day of summer as well, that's how much he loves it

Faith Seed:

Faith pretty much likes everything

She likes coffee, but with a lot of sugar and creme

She would politely refuse to drink Jacob's and John's coffee, because honestly both is terrible

So she rather makes tea for everyone

It's a skill she didn't know she had until she joined the Family, that she can make excellent tea's

And she's just full of joy and pride when Joseph compliments her ( and John and Jacob, but them on just a few occassions )