#so I chose sharky and hurk to follow me for a bit and john and jacob got very mad... and so did jess apparently... poor hurk

[animasolascreenshots]

[deputyscreed]

@eli-whitetail

The Judge. Nick’s girl had told him that was the name used by the masked and silent Gun from Eden. The Father’s shadow. The one person Jacob didn’t mind moving between the two settlements because the Judge didn’t pay the animosities between Prosperity and New Eden any notice.

It had taken him a long while. Weeks bleeding into months as he visited Roughneck’s Crag and sat atop its low roof with Sharky and Jerome, catching up on years of missed talks. Beer shared between them and the Judge always there, silent as ever.

The Judge was always the last one there, beer untouched. And Eli would always thank the mysterious figure for the company and listening to him as he stood and headed back to Prosperity for the night. But one day something struck Eli. Maybe it was the hint of a laugh coming from beneath the Judge’s mask; some wise-crack he was retelling about Cheeseburger and some of the Whitetails. He knew that laugh.

So he waited and watched and listened until some foolish hope in him was sure. He was excited, scared and utterly heartbroken for her all in one terrible flood of emotions. The next time Eli sat beside the Judge and noticed that her beer was untouched for the umpteenth time, he looked out at the setting sun and sighed. “Judge … I thought you once told me you didn’t have a nickname, Sam.”

The Judge was careful in all that she did. Very few even knew how to refer to her. Him, her, it. Most settled on ‘that thing’ from Prosperity while those from New Eden deferred to the title that was given to her by Joseph. A title that she hadn’t asked for, but he felt she needed given there was no name to otherwise call her own once they stepped out from the bunker. Samantha Creed had died in those concrete walls. Somewhere, in the midst of those seven years she had finally shaken herself free of all that clung to her from her past.

Or so she told herself.

At night she still saw the faces of those she let down, of those she killed. She may not go by Rook anymore or Creed, but the mistakes of her past haunted her. Joseph could forgive, but she could not. It was easy to slip into the persona of a nameless, faceless asset. That was essentially her role before the Collapse. Only everyone knew her face, and considered her the hero of their resistance. If they knew who she was now .  .  . no, it was for the best. The Judge became a silent observer, intent on never taking up a cause and leading it as she did before. All that followed her, was hell after all, and she’d learned her lesson the first time.

Now and then Joseph would look to her, head tilted as though he wanted to hear her opinion on something. Only for him would she give a shrug of a shoulder or shake of the head. Never would she fully commit for fear of tainting his judgment. While she may be the Judge, it was only for her to act out on the judgement of the Father’s –– not to make that decision for herself. When Joseph went north, leaving her behind to look after the flock, after Ethan, she was lost once more. It was a de-facto leadership role in that she had to keep Ethan in check without taking the place he so desperately craved. Guiding without leading. Controlling without letting him realize. She hated it. Despite her reservations, she did what she could, and when they came, with the book in hand, her heart had nearly broken.

Someone else to be taken in by fate and left to twist in the wind. The Judge knew what awaited them, the apple, the power. It was something she’d already tasted for herself, but she was careful to never use the gift. She didn’t trust herself.

The newcomer returned with Joseph and she felt some peace when he touched her shoulder, only for it to shatter when he so carelessly tossed her to another. Now she was to follow their judgment instead of Joseph’s. So she did as she was instructed, but whenever she wasn’t needed, the Judge didn’t return to New Eden. No, she went to the camp she’d made a short distance outside the gated community, and would spend her time there, alone. A bit like a petulant child, but she was tired. Eventually she was invited to the Crag, to spend time with the others, and after Carmina vouched for her, she was allowed into Prosperity.

Seeing Nick and Kim had nearly ruined her cover, composure broken as she inhaled sharply and took a step forward to greet her old friends before she stopped short. Their lives were not hers to indulge in. She’d closed and locked that door years ago when she chose Joseph over them. The Judge retreated further into her shell and lingered beside the garage where she could hear and sometimes watch Nick work. It was horrible. It hurt to see him, and not be able to speak with him, but she figured this sort of suffering was deserved.

John would’ve been giddy at her acceptance of his ways. Only through an ocean of pain . . .

More and more people gathered at Prosperity. Mostly unfamiliar faces, but too many that she recognized. Grace was blind, and the Judge couldn’t imagine the sniper unable to line up her shots as she once did. The sound in her throat when she first saw the other woman was loud enough to catch her attention. When Grace realized it was the Judge, she’d scoffed and dismissed her. The Judge didn’t approach her a second time.

Sharky had matured in some ways and stayed the same in so many more. He was wary of her, but would talk at the Judge as though she were an ally. Hurk too couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut, nervously saying whatever was on his mind. The mask seemed to freak him out.

It was so strange to see their new lives here, and how she’d once envisioned a future where Hope County would be much the same as it was before, and she’d maybe have been promoted by then. Still spending time with them at the Spread Eagle. That sort of bittersweet daydreaming only made the present hurt all the worse, which was good. No amount of suffering could ever undo what she’d done, but it was a start.

When the Judge was summoned to Prosperity, she went, arriving on foot, silent and making the guards jump. They opened the door for her and she took one step before freezing. Carmina was talking to someone she didn’t recognize. When he turned around, she was –– well, if she weren’t mute already, she would’ve been struck mute then. Eli Palmer.  In the flesh. Alive and well. The Judge’s heart began to beat faster, pounding in her chest until she could barely hear her own thoughts over the rapid thudding. She turned and left, mind reeling with the revelation of what she’d seen. It was always horribly good to see those who survived and were alive from before, but this was different.

He was different.

How could she have not known? Did Joseph know? The others? Had they kept this from her on purpose? The Judge retreats from them, to her home in the woods and stays there for a few days while she gathers her thoughts. Eventually she reemerges at the Crag, to jokes and concerned looks from the others who work alongside the Chief of Security. True to form, she says nothing.

When Eli arrives at their gathering place, she is better prepared for it. Her and Carmina are in the middle of playing a board game –– one in which she’s destroying her godchild at. Both look up and introductions are made officially between the Judge and Eli. She doesn’t say anything, which is laughed off by Hurk as he explains the silent brooding type, “You know.” Being around him is as difficult as it is to linger outside Nick’s shop or hideout on the watchtower within earshot of Sharky, but she does it anyway. The time spent with friends, even if they have no idea who she is, gives her a sick sense of inclusion. Of belonging. She doesn’t deserve that, but she takes it anyway. As selfish now as she was then.

He seems more talkative than he used to be, or perhaps more laid back. She has a hard time remembering anything good from all those years ago, but maybe the world ending had that effect on him. Never does she approach him, but she will nod or give a half-hearted grunt when he speaks to her. Eli doesn’t ask questions, and is none the wiser, speaking at her and reminiscing without realizing how much she too remembers. She was there. The Judge worries about giving herself away around him. It’s too easy to let her guard down.

Her fears seem unfounded until one day he approaches her and takes a seat beside her. She tries to maintain a height advantage, always on the top floor or in a tree so she has a clear line of sight with the bow. A weapon she had no skillset in until Eli had come along. Her feet dangle over the edge of the second floor landing, able to see the north west and south sides from this vantage point.

Slowly she tilts her head, gazing at him through the eyeholes of the mask. It’s an inquisitive gesture, paired with her waiting for him to break the silence because she won’t.

“Judge . .  . I thought you once told me you didn’t have a nickname, Sam.”

Everything seems to freeze around her. The wind stills, leaves no longer rustling. Distant birdcalls are now silent. Time stops. Sam slowly looks away from him, leaning forward until her chest touches the top of her thighs and she breathes out a distorted gasping sound. With that exhale, she hears the birdsong in the trees once more. It was stupid of her to think that Eli wouldn’t recognize her. That he wouldn’t realize who she was and put the pieces together.

She straightens up and turns towards him, wishing she could say something, anything. Even if she knew what to say she couldn’t. There’s a vice around her throat, emotion tightening it down further. She reaches out, hand hovering above his knee, but unable to commit to actually touching him. It’s not a right she feels has been given, and so she snatches her hand back and shifts away from him –– towards the setting sun. She feels numb, chest hollow and carved out. Sam shakes her head, lips pressed into a thin line beneath the mask.

“Title.” The one word is like sandpaper on gravel. Raspy, and more grating than anything, but that’s what happens when you scream yourself hoarse for years in a bunker and then stop speaking altogether for even longer after that.

[writinanon]

Predator and Prey Details

Here’s the details from Hare and Wolves about everyone

When I say ‘native’ blood I mean the animals not native Americans because this is ostensible normal human history with animal traits splashed over it and normal human history is very depressing and unkind to indigenous peoples. As white people ‘settled’ the Americas their animalistic sides took on the traits of the animals that were better adapted to the New World. Some people didn’t like this and believed it to be a dilution of their heritage and so they only married people that had a traditional or married someone from Europe. As the land was taken over this stopped happening as much.

With the exception of Jerome and Burke everyone has either had their European blood diluted to the point that it only comes up in small traits or the ‘native’ blood around them has taken complete hold. Considering at best 6 and a half generations have passed since the end of slavery and only two have passed since the civil rights movement their animals would be more deeply connected to their African heritage than the others would be to their European heritage)

Rook – White-tailed Jackrabbit, Prey (She’s a Hare, which is a bit bigger and can run faster for longer than a rabbit.)

Jacob, Joseph, John – Red Wolf, Apex Predator (Native to the southeastern United States of America they’re going extinct do to practices however they are still the top of the food chain in their areas)

Faith – Grey Wolf, Apex Predator (Safely off the extreme end of the endangered zone they are the mental go to for the typical image of a wolf for people of the US and Canada)

Nick – Golden Eagle, Apex Predator (Of course he’s a fly boy. Coming from a long line of air force pilots the fact that he chose to not going into the military given his gift of flight was definitely against the grain for his family. Especially since his wife isn’t Bird Prey but Ground Prey.)

Kim – Yellow-bellied Mormont, Prey (These guys are awesome and I think Kim fits in with them perfectly well.)

Jerome – Side-striped Jackal, Predator (In the wild these Jackals are observed as being far less predatory as their relatives while not exactly gentle they aren’t likely attack for meat unless they actually want meat or it’s easy prey. Their territory range is in sub-Saharan Africa and while a bit more prairie like than Montana I felt the shift wouldn’t have been as dramatic and that his family would have moved to the plains as soon as they were able to. There are also no animals like the Jackal in the area, the closest would be a Coyote however they evolved separately enough that Jerome’s bloodline will remain Jackal unless he moves to a different location with a more similar animal or he mates into a different bloodline.)

Marshall Burke – Spotted-neck Otter, Predator (We know that the Marshall comes from Virginia as that is were the US Marshals are based primarily out of plus it gives credence to his total fish out of water knows absolutely nothing mindset. These guys are river otters from Africa and stick close to marshy areas and Virginia has a lot of wetland thanks to the Potomac River.)

Sheriff Whitehorse – White-tailed Deer, Combative Prey (Well he wasn’t going to be a horse. Though often skittish white-tailed deer are fairly territorial and will fight with other bucks for their desired does or grazing territory. They don’t like to come up against big predators, they’ll fight but are more likely to freeze or run, given the opening I felt this fit with the Sheriff’s attitude toward the Seeds.)

Deputy Hudson – Coyote, Apex Predator (Coyotes get a bad rap and I feel that seeing wolves as superior would carry over in this kind of world. What she lacks in size compared to a wolf she makes up for in cunning as well as speed.)

Deputy Pratt – Wire Fox Terrier, Predator (Bred to hunt foxes as well as other burrowing animals, these guys are quick and need a firm hand to guide them, they are however very loyal)

Mary-May – Golden Eagle, Apex Predator (I figured that Mary-May and Nick were cousins and that in this world the title of the bar would both be a sex joke and an animal joke so she gets to be a Golden Eagle too.)

Sharky – Long-tailed Weasel, Predator (Distantly related to the Mongoose Sharky is not one though. This brings him much sorrow after Rook tells him this.)

Hurk – Short-tailed Weasel, Predator (Cousin of the Long-tailed Weasel they are a little smaller and have a shorter tail however that’s about where the differences stop. Hurk gets a huge kick out of Sharky not knowing they weren’t Mongoose, he also finds it funny that Sharky doesn’t know the difference between a rabbit and a hare.)

Adelaide – Short-tailed Weasel, Predator (Small and vicious these guys can and will tear you a new one if they feel like it. They also enjoy heights as I learned when one decided to climb me like a tree and sit on my head for better vantage point.)

Grace – Red-tailed Hawk, Apex Predator (My personal favorite kind of hawk they’re quick and have excellent vision. Also, their screams are the ones that are usually subbed in for that of a Bald Eagle because Bald Eagles have very high-pitched shrieks not majestic wails like Red-tailed Hawks.)

Jess – Barn Owl, Apex Predator (They are the quietest of birds and shriek like banshees if they are displeased.)

Eli – Rocky Mountain Elk, Combative Prey (These guys are a little shaggy around the edges and are usually willing to fight a bear, cougar, or each other in defense of their children/herd)

Wheaty – American Crow, Predator (They will eat anything and are terribly smart)

All Alphas are Apex Predators (AP). Be it a raptor or a wolf or a big cat or a bear, if they’re a top of the food chain predator they are an Alpha.

Betas fall in the midrange Predator to the Combative Prey (CP), animals that can be both predator and prey like weasels or dogs or snakes as well as larger prey animals that can fight off attackers but don’t actively seek out other animals as prey, deer or moose or horses.

Omegas are purely Prey. Mice, rabbits, small birds, creatures that are usually the dinner of predators in the wild. However, being the most fertile and able to carry the largest groupings of children unlike their wild counterparts Omegas are treasured and beloved, sometimes hoarded by Alphas.

Rook is a white-tailed Jackrabbit, Prey.

The Seeds are what are known as Red Wolves, Apex Predators. With the exception of Faith being a Grey Wolf as she was born in Montana and not Georgia.

Prey tend to prefer to mate with Betas or other Omegas because AP’s are possessive, controlling, and often very aggressive. They prefer the milder nature of Betas, be they Predator or CP Betas seem more in touch with the human side of them all and that leads them to being the most level headed out of the separate groups. The Predators are usually the ones that go into things like law enforcement or dangerous jobs because they can keep their heads better than AP’s (not to say that AP’s don’t go into the military or police work Jacob was a military man; however, Predators tend to make the majority of people who pass the psych tests to become military or police).

AP’s tend to try and only mate with Prey because Prey are the most fertile, the most likely to bare larger groups of children, and there are only one of two ways it can go AP or Prey.

When they go to arrest Joseph, Rook has scent blockers on because she is Prey and while it’s not against the rules a lot of AP’s and even Predators would attempt to subdue her with pheromones and then claim she was unfit to arrest and get to escape scot-free. John’s baptism and then her subsequent swim in the lake washed them all off and she doesn’t have the chance to get more. Eden’s Gate is a big believer in living naturally, as ‘The Lord Intended’ and so birth control and scent blockers are contraband. This is one of the reasons that Kim is actually pregnant during what is tantamount to a war for the county (they wanted kids and are more than happy to have their little bundle of joy however having a kid with a crazy cult just down the way that is militant and trying to take your lively hood? Not exactly the best idea. But with birth control drying up they were left with almost no choice).  This is bad because she gets a shot for birth control and her shot is wearing off.

Of course, all of the resistance members know what she is, Sharky likes to tease her and call her Lucky. (She argues that she’s a Hare not a rabbit and there is a distinction stop laughing you stupid weasel! To which he replies he’s a mongoose and Rook has to explain that mongoose are much larger stoats. They blow up a Peggie outpost to make him feel better after finding out his ‘Whole life is a lie’ while Hurk laughs in the background.)

The visions of Jackalopes in Faith’s region frighten her, it’s not right for them to have horns and she always runs back to Jerome or the Sheriff after encountering them. She doesn’t want to become a mindless follower, the shell of what she was once.

Shockingly, the Judges are more afraid of her than she is of them when she’s in her much more diminutive form. Jacob has seen her literally riding them in her smaller form. Before he knows it’s the Deputy he is confused as fuck.

As autumn closes in on them she moults her soft brown/grey fur into her snow-white fur, the only color being on the tips of her ears which are tipped in black year-round.

Everyone in the Wolf’s Den coo over her change, she has to stay as a Hare and can’t shift back into her human form until she fully moults, instead of taking weeks it takes roughly three days.

Boomer, Peaches, and Cheeseburger follow her because she has a sweet gently scent and offers nothing but love. They recognize her no matter what form she is in and, before they know it is the Deputy, Peggies and towns folk alike are baffled by the sight of a bear and a cougar protectively guarding a rabbit (I’m a fucking Hare you morons!).