#I was expecting this hehe

[lulu2992]

Hey there!

After reading your great insight on what to keep in mind when, say, writing the Seed brothers in fanfiction, I was wondering if you wanted to cap things off on what to keep in mind when writing Faith?

You don’t have to do it immediately, just when you have the time.

Hi! Sure, let’s conclude this “series” with the last member of the family, Faith Seed :)

First, while she’s referred to as a/the Siren by Dutch, a couple of NPCs, and in promotional material, this isn’t her official title in the Project. And as you probably know, Faith Seed’s real name is actually Rachel. However, unlike what the Far Cry Wiki claims, I’m quite certain her full name was never Rachel Jessop. Unfortunately, the biography on her Wiki page is partly made up and based on that incorrect assumption, so I really don’t recommend trusting it. This advice goes for all Far Cry characters, and I don’t think the Far Cry 6 Season Pass is a good reference, either, since the DLCs were written with the help of the Wiki.

In Far Cry 5, in addition to the story cutscenes, she has three sermons (here, here, and here), four answering machine messages (here, here, here, and here), and can also be randomly encountered in the Henbane River region as a “specter” (term used in the files). When she appears, she either hums the song “Oh The Bliss” (here and here) or talks to the Deputy. I think what she says really is worth listening to and adds a lot to her character. @teamhawkeye has done a tremendous job recording and compiling all her appearances in 9 videos (1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9)! As for Marshal Burke’s “apology video”, in which Faith also appears, it’s here.

I wrote a summary of what other characters say about her here (masterpost here), and all the NPCs’ comments about the Seed family are available here and here.

Faith isn’t in Far Cry Arcade and doesn’t have the same “combat lines” as most other characters, but you can still listen to everything she says during the final fight against her here.

Her deleted lines are here, and she has even more here. Most of them probably aren’t relevant anymore, but they’re still interesting and make me wonder what they originally had in mind for the character!

If I’m not mistaken, there’s only one note in Far Cry 5 written by Faith: the “Note for Tracey” (Hope County Jail). The note “A Confession” (Throne of Mercy Church) was also written by “Faith”, but it seems to me the author is one of Rachel’s predecessors.

Indeed, in-game evidence indicates Rachel wasn’t the first woman who took on the role of Faith Seed. There were at least two others before her, Lana and Selena, but we barely know anything about them or why they were replaced. Two letters, written by people who knew and loved them, can be found in the game in the Horned Serpent Cave and the King’s Hot Springs Hotel, but that’s pretty much it.

There was another note written by Faith, apparently cut from the game but still available in oasisstrings. It was supposed to be in her bunker, Faith’s Gate:

To my guardians, Because we have each other, we are already strong. But when the Collapse comes, this gate will need to be the heart of our strength. Guard it with your lives, knowing that any sacrifice you make will be for the future of humanity's greatest ideals and dreams. Jacob and Joseph have chosen you to guard this gate. You should be very proud. I know you serve me with love, but never forget that this will be your home, too. If you falter from this purpose, remember the bliss is there for you. With love, Faith

It’s worth noting that, in the game’s files, Faith (or the Henbane River) is sometimes referred to as “Selena Seed”. To me, this suggests that her identity and her backstory went through many changes during the development of Far Cry 5, and that might explain at least some of the grey areas surrounding the character.

Since she isn’t the Seed brothers’ biological sister and they weren’t raised together, The Book of Joseph doesn’t give a lot of information about her life before Eden’s Gate aside from what the game already tells us: she was a broken person, addicted to drugs, and was “adopted” by Joseph as his sister and Herald. When she joined the cult, since drugs are forbidden by the rules, she first had to overcome her addiction, and the book says she succeeded with the help of scopolamine (basically Bliss). It’s also explained she then worked with a geneticist named Peter, probably on developing Bliss. That said, in the game, he’s never mentioned, cultists never use the word “scopolamine” (always “Bliss”), and nothing clearly indicates it can be or has ever been used as a substitution treatment, so I’m not sure what’s still canonical...

Faith also appears in the short film Inside Eden’s Gate (not entirely canon to me but still good) where she’s played by Mackenzie “Kenz” Lawrén Johnson. I must admit Faith is my favorite Herald in the film; I really like Kenz Lawrén’s interpretation as well as her opinion on the character, which she gave in this interview!

Weirdly, Faith has often been referred to as the “half-sister” by the game’s main writers (such as here or here) even though she isn’t related to the Seed family in the game. It’s possible that she used to be but that was changed at some point. According to the Lead Writer, “Maybe she isn’t liked by the other two brothers as she didn’t grow up with them” (which is hinted at by NPCs and John himself in Far Cry 5). In a now-deleted interview for GameCrate, he also described her as “more of an outsider” and “probably the most fervent believer in Joseph”.

Greg Bryk, who co-created and played the Father, said he believed he needed Faith because “the maternal aspect of the feminine energy is missing” in his life even though it’s something “essential for Joseph to have”. He thinks there have been several Faiths because “when [Joseph] would lose faith, [he] would find another Faith.” And according to him, “she doesn’t need to have a specific energy because there’s something of an essence that [he needs] as opposed to a person”, and she almost has a “mother earth energy”.

While she does give a bit of information about her past life as Rachel in the game, saying she was “ostracized by her community”, “bullied by friends”, “abused by her family”, and “wanted to die”, it’s not always easy to know what’s true and what’s not when it comes to Faith because she’s known for being a master manipulator; lying is canonically part of her modus operandi. In a way, because Faith Seed is a role, I would say she’s also always performing. Unlike what a few NPCs claim, I don’t think that means she never tells the truth, but she’s still undoubtedly “very skilled at twisting the facts and turning any situation to her advantage”, as the game’s Narrative Director put it.

Although the details are unclear, I believe it’s true Rachel was “lost” and “broken” before she arrived in Hope County and joined the Project. It’s also true that, as Faith Seed, she’s now powerful, dangerous, and not innocent anymore, as her former best friend Tracey Lader, who knows her very well and witnessed her transformation (but was unable to stop it), warns the Deputy. I neither mean nor think the situation Faith is in is normal, healthy, or the best thing that could have happened to her, but I do think saying she’s unhappy with it, helpless, in danger, or that she only wishes she could run away from the cult really is a misunderstanding of the character. Faith knows what she’s doing, and she’s very good at doing it. To me, she’s the most powerful Herald.

Since the lore is a bit inconsistent, we’re not entirely sure how the Bliss works and who created it, but we know it’s an almost magical, hallucinogenic and pacifying drug made from “bliss flowers” (heavily inspired by Datura stramonium) that Faith is immune to, can control, and uses to brainwash people. “The Bliss” is also a place, but once again, the details are unclear. It could be her bunker, or maybe just a distorted version of reality that individuals who are exposed to the drug “live” in. Wherever or whatever it is, most people never truly come back from it or fully break free from Faith’s influence, as seen with the Marshal in the game…

In the Project, Faith’s role is to lure (hence the nickname “Siren”) people into the cult and convince them to follow the Father, often with the help of Bliss. If they keep resisting or are “too full of fear and doubt”, high doses of the drug can be administered to them and turn them into Angels, who are comparable to zombies according to some characters. Bliss irreversibly damages people’s brains, and those who become Angels unfortunately can never be saved. Faith and her followers seem to think they’re beautiful creations because they’re faithful to the Project and unable to sin. It seems she has the power to control them (at least partly), and the cult doesn’t hesitate to use them as “shock troops” or “slave labor and beasts of burden”, as NPCs say. They’re indeed very docile and resistant... as well as hard to kill.

Again, there are some discrepancies regarding what happens to potential converts in the Henbane River region, but it seems people first have to walk along the Pilgrimage path and, at the end of it, take a literal leap of faith from the statue of Joseph, just like Faith explains she did (even though whether or not the statue already existed at the time is a bit uncertain). As unbelievable as it sounds, NPCs confirm it’s entirely possible to survive the leap. After walking the Path, some pilgrims become Angels, some simply join the Project, and others don’t survive, either because they don’t make it to the end or die when they jump (maybe because their faith isn’t strong enough, I’m not sure how that works).

In the Family, Faith can be described as “the favorite child” (and I think that makes John jealous), who saw Joseph as her savior when they met and wants others to experience the same feeling, by force if necessary. Just like her brothers, she basically weaponizes her trauma and makes people relive a sublimated version of her life story: she targets the most vulnerable individuals, gives them drugs to ease their torment, and sometimes takes their minds away from them. Even though Faith is fully capable of thinking for herself, isn’t mind-controlled, was a drug user before she joined the Project (not after), and left her old self Rachel “in the darkness” willingly to be reborn as Faith Seed, she still became a new person for the Father and expects the same from anyone she converts, even if that means she has to completely brainwash them.

In conclusion, we don’t really know much about Rachel and her backstory, simply that she was broken, saw Eden’s Gate as a chance to start anew, and happily took it. Since she was young, desperate, and therefore suggestible when she met Joseph, one can wonder if Faith is simply a manipulated, brainwashed victim; a poor, helpless soul devoured by a cult. But although that situation is far from ideal or normal, she and other characters confirm that she too has teeth, and she doesn’t hesitate to use them. Rachel should theoretically just have been a victim, but as Faith Seed, she’s transcended this status. She’s found purpose, power, and is committed to her beliefs. Not everyone in Hope County precisely knows who she is, but now, she does. She’s a multifaceted mystery whom people tend to underestimate, and it’s something she likes to cultivate because that’s how she gets them. She’s a Siren, but in my opinion, also a Phoenix, who was consumed completely and rose up from her own ashes to be born again. Rachel was broken, but Faith is strong. Rachel lost herself, but Faith was found. Rachel was nothing; Faith can be anything.

[melimelotus]

[junotter]

Part 2 of my modern avatar au, The Gaang (part 1)

[kristea9ay]

How and where did he walk for the first time?

Mk fell asleep with both of his parents cuddling, but when he wakes up...his papa is upset? Not on his watch!

Blurred text here

First - previous - next

[zhukzucraft]

=====>

As the strange world around you flashes, you close your eyes and open them again to the sun setting on the first day of the new game.

You are back at spawn and you are not alone.

Skizz: Mumbo!!!!

Mumbo: Oh my goodness

Mumbo: Skizz!

Mumbo: It was you!

Skizz: Yep!

Skizz: You and I are joined at the hip now, my guy, so you better get used to it!!

Mumbo: Oh

Mumbo: You-

Mumbo: You really chose to stay with me so fast? I'd barely even finished reading the rules!

Skizz: Yeah, what was there to think about? I knew my buddy wouldn't betray me!

Mumbo: But we're already down to yellow

Mumbo: Because of me

Mumbo: I just...

Mumbo: I don't even know how it happened, honestly, I'm so sor-

Skizz: Hey, who cares about that! You know what's important?

Skizz: You and I are together now!

Skizz: And if we put together that big smart brain of yours and these guns we will be unstoppable!

Mumbo: ah

Mumbo: Right.

=====>

Start Over -- Go Back

[chio-chan2artbox]

Step forward - Part 2

Perry has made a decision.

Part 1, Part2, Part 3, Part 4

[sakasakiii]

imladris lads :D it started off as a few doodles of gildor bc of a great prompt i received from an anon a few weeks ago, and then spiralled into something else entirely bc i havent really taken the time to explore much of anything imladris-related? i really like the lindir-is-maglor concept so heres my take on how it couldve happened haha

as always, credit to Cartoon Network for the sparkly pink BG

thanks so much for the ask!! here's my take on gildor :DD i really like the way anon asked the question and it was what inspired me to draw finrod in the mix too strangely enough?? the vibes are similar 🤭

[gordonfreemanspussy]

@scienceteamtober day 2: passport?

this is pretty straightforward interpretation but i really wanted to do my own take on this sillay passport???

BEAUTIFUL BENRY PORTRAIT BY @perigostodick !!!! full image below. (and oh my god shout out to @black-mesa-passport-department for hlvrai passport reference. life saved forever.)

Look at him.

[seoulmatez]

wanderer x reader. inspired by this art!

it’s not often you find yourself so far out of the city, though, you must admit, your time spent aimlessly wandering through vanarana has proven to be just what you needed—an opportunity to clear your head. perhaps you should be heading back soon. the last thing you want to do is worry anyone and despite the serenity you’ve been met with, the forest isn’t known to be a particularly safe area. 

just one moment longer.

you hum quietly to yourself, though the tune is carried with the wind, dancing through the air as freely as the cool breeze. there’s a hill up ahead, and you ponder climbing it as your feet carry you that direction. you’ve heard that yelling from heights is considered therapeutic by some and you’ve always wanted to give it a shot yourself.

you stray from the path you’ve been walking on for who knows how long, the rough dirt beneath your feet traded in for soft grass and plush moss. though, as you approach the foot of the hill, you find your eyebrows pulling together in confusion.

something—someone, you realize—is curled up in the grass. a million thoughts pass through your mind in just seconds—is someone hurt, is someone pretending to be hurt, looking to do you harm? though, just as quickly as they had come, the thoughts and uneasiness begin to dissipate, and with just the sight of a hat.

it’s him.

pops of blue and violet against the green of the rainforest are hard to miss and while they catch your eye, what’s even more captivating is to see the wanderer so… defenseless. 

you take special care to lighten your steps as you continue toward him. his chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm and his lips are parted, quiet breaths pushing past them. he’s asleep, out here in the open like there isn’t a danger in the world.

your proximity doesn’t seem to stir him, so you take another step and carefully kneel just a couple of feet away from him. you don’t think you’ve ever seen him up this close before. you certainly never realized how long his eyelashes are, how smooth his skin is. you’re tempted to reach out to touch him, to see if it feels as smooth as it looks—

all too suddenly, his eyes fly open and his hand darts out to take a hold of your wrist—you didn’t even know that you acted on your thoughts. 

“what do you think you're doing?” he asks. his grip on you is firm but far from painful and he makes no move to sit up from his position. his reflexes are enough to tell you that if he thought you were a threat, he’d be able to handle you.

“i could ask you the same thing.” you tug your arm back and, to your surprise, the wanderer lets you go easily. you don’t realize it until his hand is gone, but his palm was shockingly warm. “it’s not safe to sleep out here. and i can’t imagine it’s very comfortable.”

he finally sits up, stretching his arms above his head and fighting back a yawn. you bite your cheek to stop yourself from smiling at the uncharacteristically cute scene playing out before you. though, as soon as he catches you staring, a frown is etched into the wanderer’s features. “what do you care?”

it’s a good question—you suppose, in the end, your curiosity got the better of you. it doesn’t seem like an answer that he would find acceptable, so you simply shrug.

“i’m going to head back now,” you tell him, standing up and patting your thighs. you throw your thumb over your shoulder with a hopeful smile. “would you like to join me?”

he stands up too, and for a moment you think he’s going to accept your offer, but when he picks his hat up from the ground and places it back on his head, he says, “i’ll pass.”

a wave of disappointment washes over you but you hold on tightly to your smile. “suit yourself.”

you turn on your heel and start the long walk back to sumeru city. the melody you had been humming earlier makes its way back to you and fills the air around you along your footsteps—and another set. you turn to look over your shoulder and find the wanderer a few feet behind you.

you keep walking but address him. “i thought you didn’t want to walk together.”

“i’m going in the same direction, that’s all.” his voice, mildly annoyed, drifts up from behind you.

you don’t question him, content to continue your humming. 

the entire way back, you hear the wanderer’s footsteps just a short distance behind you.

[cruilty-ink]

Could've been better, but I gave up while editing (sorry)

Ofc, the series belongs to @somerandomdudelmao

Idk why I did this, but I did

Here ya go cass :>

(This is not done, ive decided to add more to it, when cass updates, so yeah)

[coffeebanana]

The way the finale went down isn’t the ending a lot of people wanted—I get that, and I sympathize. But I really do believe that’s in part because it isn’t an ending.

And, frankly, I love the way this season finale went purely for selfish reasons.

The thing is, I honestly think that from a fandom POV, that’s so much better than having everything go the way we wanted or expected. I’m already so inspired to create things—to patch holes of things I didn’t get to see or hypothesize on how things will turn out. There’s debate on what the wish really means that I KNOW is going to manifest in some creative af world building in future fics I’ll get to read.

I know some people are contemplating leaving the fandom after this, but that was going to happen regardless of how the season went down. And I hope that some of those people still find a way to enjoy what the show has given them. I hope people realize it’s never too late to play with whatever ideas they may have.

I think this “ending” is unsettling on purpose. And I think so many cool things are going to be created because of that set-up.

I’m super duper excited okay?

[tinyfantasminha]

ummmm teehehe surprise surprise i still care about my oc i swear

[smoosie]

Not invincible

[kheyys-worms]

Pietá.

.

.

.

Yes-- It's based on that one scene in Nightmare Before Christmas when Jack's sleigh is shot down.

Also, BIG thank you to @merakiui for the idea and for listening to every Skully rambles that came to mind >_< i will proceed to go insane now--

[cheriafreya]

Random gifs of Alhaitham ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[ssongsboo]

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⟢ 내게 다가와, 다가와 .ᐟ

the dim light flickered in the cramped bathroom at the club, casting shadows that danced along the walls. the loud music from outside blasting in your ears.

gunwook leaned against the sink, a wicked grin plastered on his face, the signature white face paint accentuating the mischief in his eyes. his dark hair was slicked back, and he wore a crisp white button-up, the collar sharp and stark against his painted skin. a loosely knotted tie hung around his neck, the deep purple contrasting his tan skin perfectly. there was something intoxicating about the way he embodied the joker- dangerous, unpredictable, and irresistibly charming. you tried to play it cool, but the flutter in your stomach betrayed you. you stepped into the frame of the mirror, admiring the matching costumes, a playful grin adorning your face. he couldn’t help but stare at your reflection, so pretty and all dolled up- just for him. he saw the looks you gave him throughout the evening. of course he did. the effect his unfamiliar look had on you could never go unnoticed by him.

"come on, you know you want to," he teased, stepping closer, his fingers dancing over your barely clothed waist. you smirked, pulling him in by the tie, the fabric stretching just enough to hint at the playful tension between you two. "who said we can't have a little fun?" he whispered, his breath warm against your ear. his voice is low and seductive, the hint of danger in his tone sends shivers down your spine. in one swift motion he spun you around, pinning you against the cool tiles, your laughter filling the space.

"just a quickie, right?" you murmured, eyes sparkling with mischief and desire. "right," he breathed, leaning down to capture your lips, the world outside fading as you got lost in the moment. your kisses ignited a fire, a chaotic dance of lips and laughter. gunwook’s hands roamed, exploring the curve of your hips, pulling you closer as you tangled your fingers in his hair, deepening the kiss. the thrill of being caught only heightened your passion. you giggled against his mouth, the sound breaking the tension in the air, a playful reminder of the situation you were currently in. "let’s make it a little longer," you suggested, eyes glossy with lust as you nipped at his lower lip. gunwook raised an eyebrow, a playful challenge lighting up his features. "oh? you’re feeling daring tonight?" he teased, leaning back to gaze at you, the flush on your cheeks a perfect reflection of your shared excitement.

"always," you replied with a wink, heart racing as the door rattled slightly with the distant sound of footsteps outside. with one swift motion gunwook lifted you, pinning your back against the cool tiles once more. your laughter mingled with breathless whispers as you surrendered to the undeniable tension that sparked between you. he captured your lips in a kiss once more, time seeming to have come to a halt. the kiss deepened, a wild clash of lips and breath that ignited the air around you. gunwook’s hands roamed freely, one tangling in your vibrant hair while the other found its way to your waist, pulling you closer until your bodies were pressed together. the cool tiles were a stark contrast to the heat radiating between you two. your heart raced as gunwook’s lips moved against yours with an intoxicating urgency, his mouth curving into a wicked smile even as he kissed you. you could taste the thrill of danger in every brush of his tongue- his attitude and demeanor made you so incredibly needy you curiously started grinding your hips against his growing bulge. he groaned into your mouth, sending sparks racing through your veins. “stop baby, you’re gonna get us caught.” he whimpers against your lips, reminding you of the ongoing party outside that door once again "god, we’re in trouble," you murmured breathlessly between kisses, your words barely breaking the rhythm of his tongue against yours.

"and you love it," he shot back, his voice low and teasing, his eyes glinting with a mixture of mischief and madness. he pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, suggesting to continue this in a more private space.