unchained-by-intuition - Tumblr blog

[unchained-by-intuition]

It wasn't until after the apology that Gael seemed to shake himself loose from the unintentional melancholy that stiffened him up and he obscured his recovery with another drink from the smooth glass bottle. John was opening up, but the agent couldn't have been sure if it was careful manipulation or a genuine, weathered look on the older man's face.

There was sense in the words; Gael himself came from a tumultuous location - Austin could've been worse all things considered but it was still a sprawling metropolis which came with its share of troubles. God the 5 o'clock traffic itself could drive anyone crazy. [Hah.] Shut up, that wasn't on purpose.

"Right, sorry. I just--" [Don't give anything away.] ... [Well, nothing else.] "Yeah, I came to the festival because I heard interesting things about it. Where I come from, we don't really screw around with fires all that much, y'know?" He asked rhetorically. "It's hot enough without them so when you hear that there's a paganistic ritual where they burn effigies in a town called 'Antioch', that naturally raises curiosity." There was truth lacing through his impromptu fascination, delicately woven in with what he hoped was enough naturality to make what he meant indiscernible from what he didn't.

So instead, he tilted his head ever-so-slightly, opting to go with an angle that pressed him under a less intense light of potential scrutiny. This wasn't about him, this was him testing John to see if it was the same John as the one he'd read about in scarce sources here and there. "Livestock?" He repeated. "I know some guys who dealt in livestock. You breed horses or are you more of a cattle driver?"

Gael's tone chilled to something more reverent, sobered, and John started to realize that maybe the man wasn't here just as an unfortunate encounter. He had that look in his eye like he was burdened by it, maybe even kept awake at night, trying to figure out what kind of monster would leave a person to burn away like the devil's kindling while a drunken celebration raged away around them, oblivious.

Suddenly, a conversation he held in passing with Ari came to mind: news of a sniffer dog from the feds, poking around in Antioch for the Vampire. Suddenly the conversation they were having now seemed an awful lot like an investigation.

John's expression didn't change: it was fine that the feds were here. He was sure they were here all the time. In many ways, he was grateful for the Vampire, and any other freaks leaving their corpses to be found all wrapped up in bows: as long as they drew the attention, John could keep on with his important work.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cordova. I mean no disrespect," the older man sighed with a world-weary shake of his head. "Just when you read the papers all these years, see all that sick shit that happens every day, you go kinda numb to it." He decided it was a good time to take off his old dusty hat, set it on the barstool next to him: showing his face in a moment of vulnerability. "I got some land, thumbs in the livestock trade. I'm lucky enough to keep myself removed, mostly." John glanced at Gael with a bit of a pointed look, unable to help himself. "Well... ain't you here because you're curious?"

[unchained-by-intuition]

See? He knew Max wasn't that dumb.

Didn't mean he wasn't off the mark, though. "Yeah?" He asked, raising a brow as he leaned on his palms that were flattened against the table, not looking unlike someone dispensing an interrogation. "Is that another law you casually decide to break or do you offer those services for free?"

Gael wasn't unfamiliar with humor like that. He was just decidedly a bigger fan of dad jokes nowadays. "And no, I'm in the library to learn. That's typically the first reason why people go to libraries." He shrugged one of his shoulders dismissively, as if the answer was obvious. Which... it should've been. "But you aren't entirely wrong. Part of my job is to people-watch, even putting aside how fun it is to do so."

He cleared his throat, as though to get the conversation rolling so he could see how much longer he'd have to entertain the younger man. "So, can I help you or now that my tempting offer for you to stick your nose into my business has been removed, you're off to bother someone else?"

"a people watcher," he answers, eyes sharp and critical. "is that why you're here? hoping to catch the bad guy checking out a book on ritual sacrifice?" it's probably not that straightforward, but he puts the idea on the table regardless. he's certainly an observer, whether or not that's why he's in the library today. he hadn't seen anything about suspects in the quick glance he'd gotten, but that doesn't mean much. it had only been a glance and none of it had made any real sense. what he would give for a longer look... "but you know, if it is swallows you like, i'm pretty good at that, too."

[unchained-by-intuition]

IN CHARACTER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS .

send an emoji/series of emojis for my muse to answer any of the following questions in character! for some questions, there are fields italicized and bolded for you to fill in with the name of a person/place/event/etc in the muse's life. please remember to fill in these spaces in order for the question to make sense! each emoji is described in case you can't see them, and they are listed alphabetically. ♡

✈️ AIRPLANE — have you traveled anywhere that helped you discover something about yourself and/or about the world?

😠 ANGRY FACE — how easy or difficult is it for you to express your emotions? if you find it difficult, what do you think is holding you back?

🎨 ARTIST PALETTE — what are some hobbies that you like to partake in? do you think they're just to pass time or to distract yourself, or do you believe some of them potentially have therapeutic outcomes for you?

🎈 BALLOON — what is something you've created and/or accomplished recently that you're proud of?

🖤 BLACK HEART — what would you say is the darkest thought you've ever experienced? what do you think caused you to have that thought? have you ever planned on or fantasized about acting on it?

🏹 BOW AND ARROW — if there's something from your past that you'd give anything to go back in time and redo, what is it?

💔 BROKEN HEART — is there anyone in your life you wish you had a better relationship with? if so, how come? what makes this person important to you?

🎄 CHRISTMAS TREE — what is your favorite holiday and why?

🌙 CRESCENT MOON — what would you say is your current biggest dream and/or career aspiration and why?

❌ CROSS MARK — how would your life be different if [name of person] had never been in it? would it be better or worse?

⚔️ CROSSED SWORDS — do you have any skills that you are absolutely grateful you have and that mean a lot to you? how do you usually use these skills? would they come in handy if someone you cared about was in trouble?

🔮 CRYSTAL BALL — what is a core memory from your childhood that you think defines you today?

🗡️ DAGGER — what is something or someone you know you can't afford to lose? how far are you willing to go to make sure you don't lose it/them?

💧 DROPLET — are you grieving something or someone? do you feel like you lost something or a part of yourself with it/them?

😶‍🌫️ FACE IN CLOUDS — is there something you're hiding from the people you love? if so, how urgent is it for them to hear it? what's holding you back from sharing it?

🍂 FALLEN LEAVES — how would you metaphorically describe your life and the journey(s) you've been on?

👻 GHOST — is there someone or something that you feel is missing from your life? do you know if there's any way to find it/them?

🩶 GRAY HEART — what kind of friend do your friends consider you to be (mom friend, uncle friend, funny friend, etc) and why? what do you think this says about your personality?

🤝 HANDSHAKE — do family or platonic relationships mean more to you? or do they mean different things to you?

❤️‍🔥 HEART ON FIRE — what angers you the most? what triggers this anger, and how do you cope with it? what does this anger feel like, if you had to describe it?

💋 KISS MARK — if you had to share a romantic kiss with a loved one, where would you share that kiss and why? are you thinking about giving this romantic kiss somewhere other than the other person's lips?

✝️ LATIN CROSS — are you a religious person? did you grow up religious? does your faith mean anything to you today?

🩵 LIGHT BLUE HEART — what do you fantasize about the most often (generally/sexually/etc)? are there any people that are significant to or that you can see in this fantasy and why?

⚡️ LIGHTNING BOLT — how has [significant event in muse's life] impacted you? what has it made you realize about yourself? about others? about the world?

💄 LIPSTICK — have you had any romantic or sexual experiences that made you realize something about yourself?

🪄 MAGIC WAND — would you describe yourself as a superstitious person (someone who believes in superstitions)? do you believe in luck?

❤️‍🩹 MENDING HEART — how strongly do you experience your emotions? does it depend on who you're interacting with and/or the context of the situation?

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what song lyrics do you think most accurately describe you? your journey through life? who you are as a person?

🫂 PEOPLE HUGGING — generally speaking, do you feel very supported by the people in your life? how strong and cohesive is your support system, if you have one? do you often feel like you're at the front of the line or pushed to the side by the people in your life?

❤️ RED HEART — what is/are your love language(s)? how do you use it/them to communicate your feelings about others?

💞 REVOLVING HEARTS — who and/or what are you most grateful for in your life?

🎀 RIBBON BOW — how confident are you with your physical appearance? is there anything about it that you are insecure about? is there anything about it that you are happy about or gives you confidence? how do you think people perceive you based on your physical appearance?

🧪 TEST TUBE — if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what is one thing you absolutely have to resolve and/or do before then?

🤔 THINKING FACE — what three emotions tend to dominate your mindset? do you know why they do?

💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — is there something or someone you find yourself thinking about more often than other things? if so, why do you think you do this?

💀 SKULL — how has [name of person] 's death influenced your outlook on life, if anything?

☀️ SUN — would you describe yourself as more of an introvert or extrovert, or are you somewhere in between? how come?

🪽 WING — if you could choose to have one superpower for a day, what would it be and why? what would you do with it?

✍️ WRITING HAND — what is one thing you wish you were better at? this can be a tactical skill, social skill, hobby, etc.

[unchained-by-intuition]

Start a rumor about my muse in my inbox

[unchained-by-intuition]

IM SO SICKKKKKKK

Day ∞ asking for one night just one

[unchained-by-intuition]

Gael's expression shifted as John spoke and he didn't bother trying to change it back to its neutral set after the older man finished, laughed [not genuine. Goes without saying] and took another drink. However, he blinked and gave a small shake of his head as though pulling himself out of whatever pit he'd started to fall into as he thought about how casually John mentioned all those horrid things as though listing off stuff from a grocery trip.

"They found the guy they were looking for." He explained, attempting to recover some of his casual air. "He committed arson. Killed his parents for his inheritance." He held his own drink up as though to dip into it again, but couldn't bring himself to. His brow twitched. "It's not just a body in a fire, you know?" He said before thinking fully about what he was saying as he looked over at John. "It was a human being. I have to ask, John, what is it that you do where finding a body in a ceremonial effigy is considered a 'curiosity'?"

John tipped back his bottle as Gael explained, swirling the amber liquid once around his teeth in thought before swallowing. Wrapped up in a case... an interesting way to phrase it. Almost made Gael seem like the type that, if he didn't go looking for trouble, before too long trouble would find him. If that were the case, he and Antioch would have plenty of fun together.

"Dunno how familiar you are with this town - prior to your visit, o'course - but we got our fair share of curiosities," John replied simply, noticing the intensity that began to sharpen Gael's intelligent gaze but unbothered by it. "Our history's wrought with killings, cullings, drownings, burnings... Real intimate things, mass attacks, whatever your fancy. If your stomach can't take a little ol' body in a big ol' fire then maybe this ain't the right place for you."

At the end, John coughed kind of a laugh, a smoky, mirthless sound, took another drink with a loose flick of the wrist. "Royal you, that is. How'd that other case turn out?"

[unchained-by-intuition]

It took some mild protests and a few calls up to HQ but Gael had managed to temporarily wrestle one of the vacant offices of the Antioch PD away from their stubborn grip. That didn't keep the place from still looking like it was obviously used as storage, as one could note by the dusty boxes of evidence, archives cases lazily taped shut and no fewer than three rickety metal tables stacked atop one another in the corner.

Gael could make it work.

First order of business since he was formally assigned to the Vampire of Antioch case - interviews. He had to start somewhere. So he turned to regard the knock at the door, dark eyes beholding a woman with blond hair. The twin sister. "Not at all," He shook his head, gesturing for her to enter and set whatever she was holding on the desk he'd managed to clean off well enough. "Ms. Blume, I presume."

@unchained-by-intuition

normally a request to visit one of the detectives on her brother's case would be a welcome delight, validation that they're still looking into things and they haven't forgotten about jeff, so they aren't completely useless. no matter how many years have passed, jeff's murder always felt more important to her than anything more recent like the body found inside the tinder man.

maybe that was selfish, maybe everyone thought their own loss was more important than someone else's, but that still didn't earn them any sympathy from gen. her live revolved around jeff when he was alive, and it still she orbited him even in his death, a continued path that brought her places that perhaps she shouldn't have been.

but that was her business and no one else's, and no matter why she was being called down to talk to someone, she wasn't going to offer up anything except exactly what she wanted to. she'd start with cookies, a little variety mix kept safe in a tupperware tucked neatly beneath her arm as she knocked on a door frame. "hello? i had a call asking me to come in, i hope it's okay if i'm early."

[unchained-by-intuition]

The immediate need to reply that finding bodies in fires without them being due to household accidents or negligence not being common at all was bitten back - after all, Gael was just some guy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, despite that innate drive to display his intelligence. So instead, he replied nonverbally with a small half-frown and a furrow to his brow as if to say 'yeah, I guess it's like that sometimes'.

Gael noticed that the bartender, along with seeming to know who John was well enough to serve them with expedience and without words, seemed eager to not hang around longer than he had to. John procured a set of keys, shining in the dull incandescent light overhead and sorted away from them, a church key. The kind for opening drinks. Modern, not like its namesake. Initial suspicion was replaced by the knowledge that John had used it himself so Gael acquiesced, prying his bottle open absently.

"Yeah, something like that," He admitted, taking a swig of his drink as he used the opportunity to piece together a backstory that wasn't inaccurate without blowing his cover. "Got wrapped up in a case kiiiinda like this one a few years ago. Just got shitty luck, I guess." He gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Which was why I was asking if that happens often around here." He looked at John this time with dark eyes. "You don't seem all that bothered by it. Is that an Antioch thing or...?"

Of course, that John steered the discussion directly into "body found in the festival fire" territory got Gael's attention, but that didn't mean anything... true crime was a guilty pleasure experienced by all, a glimpse behind the curtain of man to that disgusting and hungry thing that lurked just behind. But then it got an interesting reply out of Gael, and John became even more curious about his business in Antioch.

"What, bodies ending up in fires? About as often as it does in other places, I'd guess," John answered with what might have been a short huff of a laugh, if his laughter hadn't died sometime when the ground opened its root-threaded jaws. It was a honest statement... one body found in one fire? A nothing number compared to some other parts of the country. If Gael had asked about any other method of body disposal, however, his answer might have been different.

Their drinks were handed to them quickly, without so much as a glance from the bartender, and John pulled his keys out of his coat pocket, popping open one of the bottles with a churchkey there. He laid the churchkey on the bartop alongside Gael's unopened bottle, a wordless offer for the agent to help himself. "You roll into town, they find a body, now you're stuck here? Boys in blue got a bead on you, Mr. Cordova?"

[unchained-by-intuition]

"Don't quit your day job." Gael rolled his eyes and closed the notebook in its entirety, if only to keep the rest of whatever information he'd spent time accruing from Max's wandering blue eyes. He had spent enough of his life doing the actual work for other people to benefit from it by virtue of happening to have been in the same group as him. It was called high school. And the force.

He clicked his tongue absently at Max's observation and he decided to add some blocking to their interaction, walking around the cluttered table to a disorganized collection of books where he started to stack them, inadvertently putting them in alphabetical order as he did so. "I don't?" He asked, dark eyes glancing up to Max on occasion as he worked. "You don't strike me as a 'library' type either yet here we both are." He mused. "What kind of type do I strike you as, in that case?"

Not that Gael particularly cared about how Max viewed him, but asking other people what they thought could be insightful sometimes. He knew Max thought.

as a matter of fact, he did have a clever comeback. or a comeback, at any rate. "seems like a big waste of time to me," he says, having glanced at the drawings. none of that seems very relevant to what he's actually doing, but max has to tread carefully, lest he boldly admit to snooping through his things. it's already known between them, but sometimes it's better to let the facts stay on the inside of a conversation, tucked between a few layers of bullshit. confessions only count if they're given outright. "you don't really strike me as a birdwatcher." the fbi doesn't blow into town just to muddle about sketching birds. obviously, gael is here for some other reason. maybe coming up with new theories about that dreaded vampire. he didn't see any. shame, he would have loved to walk into gen's place with a win like that. unfortunately for him, gael doesn't take his time at the trough.

[unchained-by-intuition]

OSCAR ISAAC behind the scenes of Annihilation

[unchained-by-intuition]

It was Gael's turn to cross his arms and he raised a brow. "...Yes. Literally everyone pretends to know things sometimes." He was no exception. Only when he did it, it was known as 'deduction' and when Max did it, he equated it to more like 'bullshitting'. [Max isn't the only one who thinks highly of himself.] Quiet, you.

"C'mon, Max, you know that's not the only reason for libraries. You're being purposefully obtuse." He leaned forward slightly as though to accentuate his point, his expression half-lidded and unamused. "And if you just got a little more nosy, you would've noticed that it does mention swallows in my book." He replied, turning some of the pages deftly and turning to a section that did, indeed, have two pages entirely scribbled on, including sketches of birds, angles, measurements of speed, force and mass. All legitimate, and likely having been in that notebook longer than whatever he'd written down about the cult.

He kept the pages turned to that and looked sideways at Max. "Got a "clever" comeback for that one, Mr. Morrison?"

"pretend to know?" he scoffs, puffing out his chest. "you think i pretend to know things?" most people would. he doesn't put forth much of an effort in academics, but invariably considers himself right whenever an argument ensues. it's not so much about pretending to have knowledge as much as it is pretending to have confidence, though—people will believe you, generally speaking, when you say something strongly enough. that's how he's gotten as far as he has. arms crossed over his chest, he continues; "as a matter of fact, i'm reading. which is the only purpose of a library, isn't it?" not really. shelter and computer access are more useful to him, anyway. but while gael has left his notebook open... well, why not use the literacy skills his place in the modern world has given him? "but i didn't see anything about swallows in your book," he adds, tone growing playful. performatively, at least. "unless that's a euphemism for something."

[unchained-by-intuition]

I assume Gael liked Choose Your Own Adventure books as a kid

This is also true! He didn't get them often (and he was sort of a cheater who would skip ahead sometimes because he was just curious and didn't want to die :/) but he would read them often enough that he would kind of spoil them for others who didn't know what options meant what

[unchained-by-intuition]

I assume Gael swears mostly in Spanish

That is absolutely correct. He peppers Spanish words into his speaking now and then (nicknames, exclamations, etc) but swears usually start in English. The madder he gets, the more the politeness drops and eventually he's speaking angry Spanish, including expletives LOL

[unchained-by-intuition]

did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? what kind of cookie was it ?

He did. To be fair, he'd probably own up to it because, like, it's a cookie. It's fine, right? Also it'd be whatever kind was in the jar but if he could choose, it'd be chocolate chip oatmeal. With more focus on the oatmeal being oats than meal. Dude's a horse sometimes, idk he also likes Frosted Mini Wheats

[unchained-by-intuition]

if someone was impersonating them, what would friends or family ask or do to tell the difference ?

Three things: Whoever's impersonating him better either know why he named his brown lab Rolo (and recite what he always tells strangers near verbatim), be able to recite bible verses impromptu (besides all the "common" ones) or create a chemical equation to solve for fun because if none of those things are reliably accessible, then this guy's an IMPOSTER. Gael's a nerd who loves chemistry, God and misses his dear doggo every day and in this hypothetical scenario, whoever his impersonator was talking to would likely know these things about him. Lesser known questions would be to ask who his favorite Lord of the Rings character is, what class he'd play in D&D, or have him explain his best record at the shooting range.

[unchained-by-intuition]

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS

What’s the lie your character says most often?

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

When do they fake a smile? How often?

How do they put out a candle?

What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?

What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

How do they greet someone they like / love?

What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?

Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

What’s a phrase they say a lot?

Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?

[unchained-by-intuition]

Liar, liar…

Send an ask with ❌ followed by a statement/question to my muse and they’ll be forced to reply with a blatant lie.

(If the emoji isn’t visible on your device, please specify *red x emoji*)