#riley:canon

[neonbitemarks]

Riley, Cryptozoology & Mothman

Riley has been a cryptozoology enthusiast since he was a kid.

Growing up in a backwoods, middle-of-nowhere community that exists solely as a safe haven for supernatural creatures, his interest in cryptids started out as a bit of a joke at first, but soon developed into an actual hobby for him.

Now he has pretty extensive knowledge on the various cryptids known across the states, as well as making up stories to tell tourists passing through Hadleigh Creek about local ones (which, of course, don’t exist because he made them up, but he thinks it is funny to see people’s reactions when he tells them, completely deadpan, that there’s a monster in the lake and a sasquatch-like apeman running around the forest further up the highway).

Riley’s all-time favorite cryptid, though, is Mothman, who he is borderline obsessed with to the point that he has been taking the five-hour drive down to Point Pleasant in West Virginia every September for the Mothman Festival since he turned 21.

Riley also runs a cryptid/paranormal-based tumblr blog with the url mothmanismysugardaddy.

He mostly uses it to post creepypasta-type stories he writes about made-up cryptids, reblog cryptid fan art, occasional photos from when he goes exploring abandoned buildings and on road trips (including to the annual Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia), and a lot of regular shitposting

He also has a collection of Mothman and other cryptid-themed souvenirs and other merchandise he has amassed from his little road trips, as well as a Mothman bobblehead on the dash of his truck.

[whiskyiisms]

                                                                        ~Headcanon~

      There’s a reason Riley was so quick to change jobs while working for Cyrus. He’s quite sick- with Parkinson’s Disease- and though it hasn’t fully affected him yet the early signs are slowly showing up. He hasn’t told anyone other than Cyrus that he’s sick and he refuses the idea of retiring like he probably should. He has been going to treatment.

[unconventional-weapons]

Riley, Cryptozoology & Mothman

Riley has been a cryptozoology enthusiast since he was a kid.

Growing up in a backwoods, middle-of-nowhere community that exists solely as a safe haven for supernatural creatures, his interest in cryptids started out as a bit of a joke at first, but soon developed into an actual hobby for him.

Now he has pretty extensive knowledge on the various cryptids known across the states, as well as making up stories to tell tourists passing through Hadleigh Creek about local ones (which, of course, don’t exist because he made them up, but he thinks it is funny to see people’s reactions when he tells them, completely deadpan, that there’s a monster in the lake and a sasquatch-like apeman running around the forest further up the highway).

Riley’s all-time favourite cryptid, though, is Mothman, who he is borderline obsessed with to the point that he has been taking the five-hour drive down to Point Pleasant in West Virginia every September for the Mothman Festival since he turned 21.

He also has a collection of Mothman and other cryptid-themed souvenirs and other merchandise he has amassed from his little roadtrips, as well as a Mothman bobblehead on the dash of his truck.

[unconventional-weapons]

Riley’s Pickup

Riley drives a black 1993 Ford F-150 with lifted offset suspension that he was given to him by his dad for his 16th birthday after Marcus and Holden fixed it up and kitted it out for him.

The truck is Riley’s pride and joy, and he almost never lets anyone else drive it unless it’s an absolute life-or-death emergency.

Upgrades he has made to the truck in the 12 years he’s owned it are lifting the suspension even more than it originally had, tinted windows, and a brand new sound system, and when Riley isn’t at work, he can usually be found driving around in his truck or parked up somewhere down by the lake.

[unconventional-weapons]

Marcus’s Relationship with Riley’s mom

They met when Marcus was still actively hunting

At first, he was going to kill her because she had killed someone else, but it turned out to be self-defense as Marlena’s ex was abusive

Marcus spared her and tried to help her escape from other hunters who would kill her regardless of her reasons for killing her ex

They started a relationship and Marlena fell pregnant within 6 months. Decisions were made to hide the relationship from everyone except close, trusted family and friends, to protect Marlena and their unborn child

Marcus and Marlena married in a small, private ceremony with just a handful of witnesses while Marlena was seven months pregnant

Riley Blue Reid was born 3 weeks premature but otherwise completely healthy

The Mahlendorfs caught up with Marlena shortly after Riley’s 3rd birthday

They were still in the dark about her marriage to Marcus and the existence of Riley

After the night Marlena died, Marcus vowed to continue to keep Riley safe and off the Mahlendorfs radar, especially when it became apparent Riley had magic

Very few people know who Riley’s mom was, except those who knew beforehand

Riley’s Relationship with his dad

Marcus has been extremely overprotective of Riley his whole life. This has unfortunately led to Marcus concealing certain truths from his son that would cause a lot of pain and destroy Riley’s trust if they came out

As a result of his isolation and loss of his best friend, Riley has been moderately socially awkward since his teens

This has led to a heavy reliance on his dad for a lot of things, though as Riley got older, he started to notice little things here and there that made him realize he doesn’t know Marcus half as well as he thought growing up

That trust is especially eroded after Riley found out his dad knew Stone wasn’t dead

Riley does not yet realize his dad has been hiding the truth from him about who killed his mom

[unconventional-weapons]

The Reid's Code of Ethics in Hunting

Only kill those who pose a genuine threat - i.e.: feral, actively attacking/killing people, deliberately turning and then abandoning fledglings with of teaching them control, etc.

No killing kids under 16 unless they pose a serious threat to people's safety - see above

No killing pregnant mothers or mothers with young children unless a genuine threat - see above

Vampire nests are to be cleared with no less than 5 hunters. Call in reinforcements from other clans if necessary

Packs are to be left to handle their own business internally unless the pack asks for assistance

Do not get involved with fae disputes. Ever.

No sending kids under 18 on solo hunts

No sending kids under 15 on hunts at all

Training from 8 yrs upwards - weapons from 12 yrs upwards

Make kills quick, clean and as humane as possible

No torture of any kind

No use of iron on Fae

No use of wolfsbane, mistletoe or any other toxic plants on non-humans sensitive to them

Never co-operate with the Mahlendorf's - To do so is to give approval to their methods

The only Reid's still presently actively hunting full-time are Sonny and Rabbit, and they work closely with Del Rogers, Dylan O'Leary and the Byrne clan

Marcus only hunts when there is an active threat to the campgrounds or Riley, or when Sonny and Rabbit need backup for a larger job

[unconventional-weapons]

Main Residents of Hadleigh Creek

Marcus Reid

Head of the Reid family as oldest surviving sibling

Former hunter - Mostly. Still occasionally has to dispatch rogue non-humans who are an active and present danger

Father of Riley Reid

Deed-holder for the entirety of the Reid’s land in Hadleigh Creek

Riley Reid

Only child of Marcus Reid and Marlena Reid, née Parish

Trained as a hunter but never actively done so

Half-witch - Affinity for hydrokinesis, strongest with creating/manipulating ice

Works in the gift shop/tourist information/hunt and bait shop as a store clerk

Also acts as lookout-takes in non-humans and rogue hunters when they show up looking for shelter, as well as raising the alarm when active hunters pass through the area

Childhood best friends with Stone until Stone’s alleged death when they were both thirteen years old

Isabella Reid - Deceased

Eldest Reid sibling

Mother of Holden, fathered by Aleister Mahlendorf

Later murdered by Aleister for trying to take Holden and run when Holden was thirteen

Vincent “Sonny” Reid

Marcus’s younger brother

Still an active hunter, though uses ethical practices

Father of Nathaniel “Rabbit” Reid

Works closely with Del Rogers, Dylan O’ Leary and the Byrne clan

Nathaniel “Rabbit” Reid

Only son of Sonny Reid

Mother was also a hunter, left Rabbit with his dad not long after he was born

Lived with his aunt Maria and uncle Colt for most of his childhood until he was old enough to start hunting

Actively hunts - ethical practices

Works either solo or alongside his dad

Is in a relationship with Vega, his guardian angel

Maria Reid-Wells

Youngest of the Reid siblings

Former hunter

Married to Colt Wells

Mother to Emery Wells

Raised Rabbit for the first 13 years of his life

Owns the only bar in Hadleigh Creek

Colton “Colt” Wells

Former hunter from the Wells clan

Trained electrician and plumber

Works as a repair person at the campgrounds

Also, part of the campgrounds security detail, running patrols with Clay and Marcus

Emery Wells

Fourteen years old

Nonbinary

Child of Maria and Colt

Close with Rabbit due to being raised together

Holden Reid

Nephew of Marcus Reid

Son of Isabella Reid and Aleister Mahlendorf

Father of Desmond and Max Reid

Former hunter - left and ran with his kids when he was to

Now Hadleigh Creek’s resident mechanic

Desmond “Dessie” Reid

Eldest son of Holden Reid and Kerry Michaels

Works with his dad at the garage

Max Reid

Youngest son of Holden Reid and Kerry Michaels

Works at the gas station attached to his dad’s garage

Roxanne “Roxie” Slater

Werefox

Biological daughter of Naomi Slater and Atticus Mahlendorf

Naomi died not long after Roxie was born, due to poor post-partum care on Atticus’s part

Roxie was kept in a cage, wearing a shock/spike hybrid collar, as a toddler

Rescued at age three by V Mahlendorf and smuggled to Hadleigh Creek

Raised by Clay King

Holds a degree in horticulture

Grows plants for medicinal purposes for the campgrounds residents

Clayton “Clay” King

Former hunter from the now-defunct King clan

Lived through the Jim Crow era

Bit and turned by a werebear in his early 30s

Is much older than he looks - now in his 70s

Has previously been a cage fighter on the underground circuit

Was the campgrounds first official permanent resident after helping Marcus set it up - has lived there for around 23 years

Raised Roxie from age 3

Knows Del and Kiana

[neonbitemarks]

Riley, Cryptozoology & Mothman

Riley has been a cryptozoology enthusiast since he was a kid.

Growing up in a backwoods, middle-of-nowhere community that exists solely as a safe haven for supernatural creatures, his interest in cryptids started out as a bit of a joke at first, but soon developed into an actual hobby for him.

Now he has pretty extensive knowledge on the various cryptids known across the states, as well as making up stories to tell tourists passing through Hadleigh Creek about local ones (which, of course, don’t exist because he made them up, but he thinks it is funny to see people’s reactions when he tells them, completely deadpan, that there’s a monster in the lake and a sasquatch-like apeman running around the forest further up the highway).

Riley’s all-time favourite cryptid, though, is Mothman, who he is borderline obsessed with to the point that he has been taking the five-hour drive down to Point Pleasant in West Virginia every September for the Mothman Festival since he turned 21.

He also has a collection of Mothman and other cryptid-themed souvenirs and other merchandise he has amassed from his little roadtrips, as well as a Mothman bobblehead on the dash of his truck.

[neonbitemarks]

Riley’s Pickup

Riley drives a black 1993 Ford F-150 with lifted offset suspension that he was given to him by his dad for his 16th birthday after Marcus and Holden fixed it up and kitted it out for him.

The truck is Riley’s pride and joy, and he almost never lets anyone else drive it unless it’s an absolute life-or-death emergency.

Upgrades he has made to the truck in the 12 years he’s owned it are lifting the suspension even more than it originally had, tinted windows, and a brand new sound system, and when Riley isn’t at work, he can usually be found driving around in his truck or parked up somewhere down by the lake.

[neonbitemarks]

Marcus’s Relationship with Riley’s mom

They met when Marcus was still actively hunting

At first, he was going to kill her because she had killed someone else, but it turned out to be self-defense as Marlena’s ex was abusive

Marcus spared her and tried to help her escape from other hunters who would kill her regardless of her reasons for killing her ex

They started a relationship and Marlena fell pregnant within 6 months. Decisions were made to hide the relationship from everyone except close, trusted family and friends, to protect Marlena and their unborn child

Marcus and Marlena married in a small, private ceremony with just a handful of witnesses while Marlena was seven months pregnant

Riley Blue Reid was born 3 weeks premature but otherwise completely healthy

The Mahlendorfs caught up with Marlena shortly after Riley’s 3rd birthday

They were still in the dark about her marriage to Marcus and the existence of Riley

After the night Marlena died, Marcus vowed to continue to keep Riley safe and off the Mahlendorfs radar, especially when it became apparent Riley had magic

Very few people know who Riley’s mom was, except those who knew beforehand

Riley’s Relationship with his dad

Marcus has been extremely overprotective of Riley his whole life. This has unfortunately led to Marcus concealing certain truths from his son that would cause a lot of pain and destroy Riley’s trust if they came out

As a result of his isolation and loss of his best friend, Riley has been moderately socially awkward since his teens

This has led to a heavy reliance on his dad for a lot of things, though as Riley got older, he started to notice little things here and there that made him realize he doesn’t know Marcus half as well as he thought growing up

That trust is especially eroded after Riley found out his dad knew Stone wasn’t dead

Riley does not yet realize his dad has been hiding the truth from him about who killed his mom

[neonbitemarks]

Main Residents of Hadleigh Creek

Marcus Reid

Head of the Reid family as oldest surviving sibling

Former hunter - Mostly. Still occasionally has to dispatch rogue non-humans who are an active and present danger

Father of Riley Reid

Deed-holder for the entirety of the Reid’s land in Hadleigh Creek

Riley Reid

Only child of Marcus Reid and Marlena Reid, née Parish

Trained as a hunter but never actively done so

Half-witch - Affinity for hydrokinesis, strongest with creating/manipulating ice

Works in the gift shop/tourist information/hunt and bait shop as a store clerk

Also acts as lookout-takes in non-humans and rogue hunters when they show up looking for shelter, as well as raising the alarm when active hunters pass through the area

Childhood best friends with Stone until Stone’s alleged death when they were both thirteen years old

Isabella Reid - Deceased

Eldest Reid sibling

Mother of Holden, fathered by Aleister Mahlendorf

Later murdered by Aleister for trying to take Holden and run when Holden was thirteen

Vincent “Sonny” Reid

Marcus’s younger brother

Still an active hunter, though uses ethical practices

Father of Nathaniel “Rabbit” Reid

Works closely with Del Rogers, Dylan O’ Leary and the Byrne clan

Nathaniel “Rabbit” Reid

Only son of Sonny Reid

Mother was also a hunter, left Rabbit with his dad not long after he was born

Lived with his aunt Maria and uncle Colt for most of his childhood until he was old enough to start hunting

Actively hunts - ethical practices

Works either solo or alongside his dad

Is in a relationship with Vega, his guardian angel

Maria Reid-Wells

Youngest of the Reid siblings

Former hunter

Married to Colt Wells

Mother to Emery Wells

Raised Rabbit for the first 13 years of his life

Owns the only bar in Hadleigh Creek

Colton “Colt” Wells

Former hunter from the Wells clan

Trained electrician and plumber

Works as a repair person at the campgrounds

Also, part of the campgrounds security detail, running patrols with Clay and Marcus

Emery Wells

Fourteen years old

Nonbinary

Child of Maria and Colt

Close with Rabbit due to being raised together

Holden Reid

Nephew of Marcus Reid

Son of Isabella Reid and Aleister Mahlendorf

Father of Desmond and Max Reid

Former hunter - left and ran with his kids when he was to

Now Hadleigh Creek’s resident mechanic

Desmond “Dessie” Reid

Eldest son of Holden Reid and Kerry Michaels

Works with his dad at the garage

Max Reid

Youngest son of Holden Reid and Kerry Michaels

Works at the gas station attached to his dad’s garage

Roxanne “Roxie” Slater

Werefox

Biological daughter of Naomi Slater and Atticus Mahlendorf

Naomi died not long after Roxie was born, due to poor post-partum care on Atticus’s part

Roxie was kept in a cage, wearing a shock/spike hybrid collar, as a toddler

Rescued at age three by V Mahlendorf and smuggled to Hadleigh Creek

Raised by Clay King

Holds a degree in horticulture

Grows plants for medicinal purposes for the campgrounds residents

Clayton “Clay” King

Former hunter from the now-defunct King clan

Lived through the Jim Crow era

Bit and turned by a werebear in his early 30s

Is much older than he looks - now in his 70s

Has previously been a cage fighter on the underground circuit

Was the campgrounds first official permanent resident after helping Marcus set it up - has lived there for around 23 years

Raised Roxie from age 3

Knows Del and Kiana