#so like an aggressive gang of outlaws

[hyolks]

omg! You answered so quickly I didn’t even think you were going to respond! Thank you thank you!

Btw I do have a few questions, you never do specify if they still have alchemy or if this wastelands au has another power system but even if they do have alchemy I was wondering how Al got all fucked since I have a few ideas for that

(Alchemic) Al didn’t get his whole body taken and only most of it which definitely traumatized Ed for sure

(non-alchemic) Al got the same sickness as their mother which would actually spread through the blood slowly and once it got to Al he had enough time to chop off most of the infected parts and save his life and give him prosthetics and such

In this wasteland au they work as sheriffs if I’m not mistaken and I’m guessing mustang team and everyone else does as well and I see that this is a town where they are only present but they are part of a bigger organization where it is basically the military in canon but I’m opt for just kicking the whole military and having it be domestic life and no homunculus

But I don’t mind following canon but I have a few ideas on a different plot line that could work for the boys but tell me what you think :)

fjlgd OF COURSE!! :'O

i havent mentioned alchemy yet bc tbh I'm. still up in the air about it? some of the ideas i tossed around was like. very particular alchemy use? like ed being able to transmute his gun into another kind of gun, but not sure about that since it feels weird for them to have guns yanno? i feel like it would be a very last-measure kind of thing... i don't think they'd actually shoot to harm ppl, but like--shoot at an overhanging beam to make it fall down and pin their opponent or something

but your non alchemic idea is pretty similar to what i was thinking!! like. ed al and trisha all got this weird infection that ate away at them (not sure if its like a legit disease/infection dealio or like. similar to a chemical burn), kinda visibly similar to how transmutation occurs on skin, or like regeneration on homunculus

like this! but the skin would be like. dying or something.

and it eventually got trisha fully, and al's was getting REALLY bad and they had to salvage what they could to keep him alive!! like what you mentioned :")

i knew i wanted roy and his posse to be sheriffs/law enforcement, while ed and al were kind of bounty hunters in some way? so they would interact in the way that roy would be like pst. hey. fix this for me and get this guy. and then they would. but they would still have some kind of autonomy, separate from law enforcement, and could still get in hot shit with other town sheriffs lol

BUT YEA all in all i didn't really think about the military or the military coup too much? i tbh have very little knowledge on wild west politics n all that, so i don't even know if it could even GO as big as it does in fma, since i'd imagine it mostly be limited to small towns.

most i've thought about homunculus is like... lust being one of those saucy ladies in a saloon, but literally nothing else lol. maybe they could be. crime lords? bandit leaders? the kind of fellows who organize attacks on trains/townsfolks/carriages?

everything i've got isnt set in stone and totally up for interpretation!! i haven't even thought much about a storyline for the au other than little bits of ed and al being chaotic on bandits lmao I'm really interested what ideas you have!! 👀👀

[homunculus-argument]

One of my story ideas that'll get around to working on One Day is a western that is not a western - a historical adventure that's set in the time and location of the "wild west", but instead of western tropes, it's chock full of historical stuff that was actually very much a thing back then, but is generally left out of the generic classic spaghetti westerns. All sorts of odd random things that make history nerds poke their friends like "that's actually real btw. That was a real thing back then." Naturally this would take a shit ton of research and that's one of the reasons why this is on the backburner.

One of the characters is Annikki Härmänranta, the protagonists' finnish laundress and housekeeper, who is altogether pretty much only respectfully addressed as "ma'am". Her name is unpronounceable to practically everyone and she adamantly refuses to tolerate any kind of nicknames because they are against her religion. As a devout protestant, she was given her first name when she was christened and got her last name when she married, and as far as she is concerned, christian people don't change names or aquire new ones unless a priest is involved.

The other characters receive this explanation through an equally confused translator, as Annikki herself mainly communicates her disapproval of things by either a whack of her broom, or threatening to whack people with it. She speaks fluent german and while she understands english perfectly fine, she refuses to speak it.

She came to the US along with her husband, who came there to work and died in a mining accident. Though she has no family or other ties to keep her from it, Annikki refuses to return to Europe, having concluded that living in this land is her personal punishment from God. As she is in no way a person who would meekly submit to tolerateing anything that she does not want, the other characters do pierce together that she does genuinely prefer her life here. She is nowhere near as bitter or genuinely resentful as she lets out, but by some finnish logic that makes sense to no-one else, she would find it embarrassing to admit that she is actually genuinely happy, or God forbit admit that she'd do anything purely because she likes it.

The rest of the gang, being a motley crew, are no strangers to otherwise sensible people living by strange codes of honour, so they accept her strange convictions with a shrug. She is loyal to a fault, has no respect whatsoever to the local law and government, and genuinely loves and cares for the gang of outlaws she cooks and cleans for - even if she exclusively expresses her love by aggressively making sure that they are as clean and healthy as she can keep them.

While she mainly communicates with tapping, pointing and occasionally whacking with a broom, ladle or whatever is at hand, she's not exactly silent, and can and will burst into finnish. She talks to herself mainly by talking to the animals - the gang jokes that their goat probably understands finnish by now - and can and will curse out people when they frustrate her. When someone's brought in limping and wounded, the others don't need to understand a word to pierce together that she's scolding them for getting hurt in some stupid-ass way when she just got done nursing the last patient back to passable health.

When a character who's unfamiliar with her tries to meekly explain her that he doesn't understand her, she answers - in finnish - that she knows and doesn't care. It's not like any of them would listen to her any more than the goat does. While none of her rants are translated into english, the readers who do understand finnish get to enjoy the bonus comedy of her laments, which are peppered with remarkably creative cursing and all delivered in a strong and very distinct ostrobothnian dialect.

At the end side of the story she ends up marrying another side character - a chinese man. This comes as a surprise to most of the crew and those of the readers who didn't pick up on the background foreshadowing, and everyone considers them somewhat of an odd couple. He is a more reserved, poetic soul and a sensitive man, and though the other men are baffled as to why he would choose her out of all the women in the world, he's more amused than insulted by their confusion. Things like having rather little in the means of a mutual language, or the fact that she's almost 15 years older than him, are irrelevant to him - a woman who can keep her household in check without needing to say a word is worth far more than one who can't do it with all the talking in the world.

She might look like a mule, but she's as strong as one, too, and a woman who can face down a bear, wrangle drunk men to behave, suture a wound or butcher a chicken without flinching, and somehow out-stubborn a goat, and still be gentle to newborn kittens is exactly the kind of a woman his father told him to marry.

They find a priest who speaks german to marry them, and the priest asks her whether she's not bothered or concerned by the fact that he is not a christian. He did, in fact, offer to convert to christianity, but she tells him that if he would only be doing it for her sake, and not because he genuinely believed in the same God in the same way she does, he should not, because she would rather marry a man who is not christian at all than a false christian. He respected this, and decided not to convert.

Irate at the question, she replies to the priest that there are plenty of perfectly good reasons why she's probably going to Hell, and if the one damn thing would bar her from there is this man, then she's not fucking going. Her first husband was a good man, but not a godly one, and a man not worth going to Hell for is not a man worth marrying. Besides, he is the only one in this cursed land (the german conversations do get translated to english, and while she does not curse as fluently in german, she refers to the US as "this cursed land" in both languages she speaks) who ever made the effort to learn how to pronounce her name.

While the officiating of their relationship is very close to the end of the story, and most of their happily ever after is left to carry on after the story itself has ended, it's still shown that she takes up the task of learning chinese - and despite of her atrociously bad grammar and pronunciation, is willing to actually also speak it. It's also shown that besides her name, he has learned two words in finnish: "Vaimo. Rauhoitu." While this, too, is never translated, the words seem to have the almost supernatural power to stop Annikki from needlessly tearing into whoever she was ripping into, and getting her to calm down - something that no force on earth could do otherwise.

Though he's willing to explain that those are words that she taught her, and something her first husband also used to say to, he refuses to tell anyone what they mean, and not only because knowing secrets amuses him - something that everyone knows about him. She does not wish to be known or understood, and he respects her privacy.

[maddie-grove]

Most Common Problems Faced by My Childhood Dolls (Grouped by Type of Doll)

Baby/Companion Dolls: life-threatening diseases; bullying by other dolls at school; my dubious discipline style; my divorce from my imaginary husband Jake.

Groovy Girls: bullying by other Groovy Girls; life-altering gymnastics accidents; feet too unwieldy for go-go boots.

Barbies: false witchcraft accusations; real witches; tuberculosis; kidnapping; the time Ken and his brother Adam started a polygamous cult; bullying by other Barbies (whether in a normal high school or a beauty pageant or a cult); basically anything bad that happened to female movie stars in Hollywood under the studio system; the challenges of raising a million Chrissies and Kellies and Stacies and Skippers and similarly sized off-brand child dolls with little help from Ken or Adam; sibling rivalry (including an East of Eden-style mess between Ken and Adam).

Dollhouse Families: my friend Emily C. (I was Emily S.) stealing the mom doll from my old Fisher-Price family, leaving John (the dad) a widower, so when I got a new family a few years later, I decided that John should marry Patricia, the mom of the new family, which made it necessary for me to interpret Robbie (almost certainly meant to be a dad doll) as Patricia's teenage son, which was obviously very emotionally confusing for Robbie and exacerbated the usual tensions of a newly blended family.

Clothespin Dolls: Nancy, Alice, and Lily, the three charming clothespin dolls made by my genuinely talented great-aunt Beth in the 1960s or 1970s, were grown-up sisters who had a complicated dynamic (both Nancy and Lily had serious psychological and/or substance abuse issues, so Alice had to take care of them and Nancy's children and her own children) and also experienced nineteenth-century-literature-style problems, like diphtheria and ice-skating accidents and bear attacks. The clothespin dolls that I created myself as a tween/young teen were not as well-made, but their problems were generally limited to normal high school bullshit (not even the kind where you get poisoned or kidnapped!).

Miscellaneous Medium-Sized Figurines (mostly fast food toys of Disney characters and mini-Barbies): various passive-aggressive rivalries between groups (mini-Barbies vs. movie/TV characters, Disney vs. non-Disney, movie vs. TV, protagonist vs. non-protagonist, etc.); a lack of eligible bachelors (leading to unwise marriages, such as Belle from Beauty and the Beast marrying a temperamental Space Jam monster); ennui.

Playmobils: the Playmobils had a nearly utopian society, relatively free from poverty and class snobbery, and generally this diverse group of Union soldiers, stuffy Victorians, pirates, outlaws, royalty, horse girls, milkmaids, and fairies were able to work out their differences peacefully. However, all that progressive modernity had a dark side, most clearly illustrated by the Kafkaesque ordeal of Oliver, a boy who was imprisoned for no discernable reason by an evil psychiatrist and his social worker girlfriend despite the desperate efforts of his mother to free him. Intense wartime romances and infectious disease outbreaks were also common themes.

Fisher-Price Great Adventure Action Figures: these rather hideous but very fun toys (consisting of an anachronistic mix of knights, pirates, cowboys, and Robin Hood's Merry Men) belonged to my seven-years-younger brother, so we would play with them a lot while I was looking after him. Naturally there was a lot of military conflict and criminal activity built into our play (will Robin Hood and his friends be able to steal the treasure from the castle? Will the golden knights or the black knights win the big battle? Who will stop the stagecoach robberies?), but, to entertain myself, I would introduce storylines such as "the Golden Sword Knight is tired of being bullied by the other knights, so he runs away and goes to live in the forest with Robin Hood's gang, where he falls in love with a female outlaw" and "Little John starts a AC/DC-style rock band with two of the black knights and everyone hates it."

Fisher-Price Little People: easily the most provincial of the doll groups, the Fisher-Price Little People struggled with extreme class/wealth inequality, widespread adultery, child abuse, teen homelessness, practically non-existent resources for the disabled, sexual repression, a character known only as "The Pervert," and a killer clown. Every day they went to school and work, and every night they tried to find someone to hook up with and maybe got kidnapped. I only wish my brother and I had been in possession of the motel playset. Think of all the extramarital affairs and drug deals that could have happened there!

Polly Pockets: the Polly Pocket community was dominated by two wealthy factions, a nouveau riche pair of brothers with a beach party house and the royal family. Due to a severe job and housing shortage, plus the local men's habit of not acknowledging their natural children, ordinary Polly Pockets had to struggle and scrape. Compared with the Barbies, there was a lot of solidarity among women (and also Josh, the one working-class boy Polly Pocket). Many of the Polly Pockets were very fragile, including the alcoholic Cowgirl Becky and the agoraphobic piano player Penny.

Paper Dolls: intense status jockeying over who had the most/best clothes, mainly. They also fought about friendships and (if there were any of them) boys, but it ultimately came down to clothes.

[heavenlymorals]

Hi this is the TB!reader anon. Tysm for answering! I agreed with all that you said although one part did made me curious. So y'know how you mentioned that if a doctor recommended going somewhere then he would? I was wondering how do you think that'd work out with the gang? Surely it'd be difficult for Arthur with him being so loyal to Dutch and them. I'm also interested in how the gang would react since Arthur has been such an essential member

You're absolutely welcome, anon ❤️❤️❤️ I'm glad you enjoyed that, I took great pleasure writing it❤️❤️

When I wrote my response, I wrote it in the sense that the gang was out of the picture and I only wanted to focus on Arthur and his partner.

But if the gang was there? Honestly, I think it'd be pretty difficult. I mean, they clearly rely on him and there is also Dutch's guilt tripping.

But given how Arthur talks to John about getting out of there and taking care of his family and all that, there is also reason to believe that he'd ultimately put his partner first, especially if she's dying. Also, when he talks with Mary in their final interaction, he tells her that they will run away together right after he makes sure the gang is ok. Like, that right there shows that he is willing to leave them behind to go with Mary, but he just needs to make sure they are safe.

But this is a different situation. His partner is literally dying- he doesn't have the luxury of waiting and I think that Arthur would find that way more important then staying for Dutch. I mean, the only reason why Arthur stays with Dutch in canon is because of how he has nothing else besides the gang.

And there is reason to believe (just speculation and and a different interpretation, I'm not trying to present this as 100% canon) that Arthur WOULD'VE left the gang for Mary if they did get married but they never did. Remember, he says that Mary wasn't able to marry him because her family looked down on him for his status : "My money, my life, me. I wasn't good enough." And "I wasn't good enough to marry into your family, but it's ok in asking me to save your family?"

And in the next encounter? Arthur almost leaves because he doesn't want to deal with her father, and that's when Mary starts berating his lifestyle to defend her father.

"Surely you can't hate a man for the sin of loving his daughter and wanting better for her then, then-"

"Then me?"

"Then the choices you make!"

No where in the game does it say that Mary leaves him because he was an outlaw and didn't want to leave the gang. She doesn't marry him because her family barred her from doing so, especially her father and she clings onto that reasoning to justify to herself why she didn't marry him.

And also note that Arthur tells Mary that he WILL run away with her just as soon as he makes sure the people he is with are safe, which shows that he ultimately does choose Mary instead of the gang, but he needs to make sure they're safe first before leaving them forever and being with Mary. I mean the gang is in such a high stress situation after Blackwater, it's insane. I feel like a lot of people forget this.

But if his partner WAS in the gang and they are 100% established as being a couple AND she's dying? Yea, I feel like Arthur's priorities are going to shift because SHE'S the main focal point now. That's someone that he must take care of more than his fellow gang members. I mean just look at the way he talks to John about him leaving with his woman and child. Arthur believes that John has the responsibility of taking care of them FIRST and then the gang second because Abi and Jack are his actual immediate family.

So I honestly think he would leave. That's his woman. That's the love of his life and she is DYING. Fuck Dutch and his bullshit, they can take care of themselves, they are grown ass men and women.

I feel like the majority of the gang would be very understanding and accept that Arthur needs to go. Dutch might try to be passive aggressive, but I don't think it'd really go anywhere. Micah is Micah so he'd have a problem with it, but I doubt Arthur cares what Micah thinks.

Would Arthur come back to the gang after she passed away? Maybe. I mean, they let John back in for abandoning them for no reason whilst having a whole child. Arthur would have an actual reason to go and I don't think the gang is as heartless as all that.

Thanks for the ask anon, it has been so much fun and I hope you enjoy it ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[wren-125]

I feel like some Red Dead fans don’t understand that Hosea isn’t soft. Not only is he in an outlaw gang, but people act like he’s a sweet old grandpa - he’s not. Did you see how aggressive he can be even compared to Dutch in the Braithwaite mission to get Jack home? Why do people mischaracterize him so badly?

[dairy-farmer]

Talia loves her boys, her Damian and Jason. She sees how they struggle with Timothy. She sees how Timothy always acts like he is superior, like he is better than they are, even though he’s not. She sees how they desire Timothy, how they want to have him, possess him. How Timothy keeps them at a distance. How he would never accept their desire. She knows he is not worthy of her boys. Of Damian, with the superior bloodline, training, and skills. Of Jason, who has proved his strength and loyalty to her family and who she accepted as one of her own. She knows that the boy’s mere presence threatens Damian’s security and Jason’s mental health.

She knows how much her boys lust after the interloper and want to put him in his place. She also knows that Drake would not accept their advances and knows that her beloved would not approve of the more aggressive methods she would normally favor.

But the League has many resources and contacts and eventually Talia gets her hands on a small magical device that will allow her to give her boys what they want, what they need.

It will make the interloper obedient to her boys wishes while wiping all memory of the event. It can only last so long at a time, and needs to recharge, but it should help them while she works towards a more permanent solution.

Jason and Damian immediately take advantage of it. They fuck Tim as often as they can. They do it in the most degrading ways they can think of. Damian puts Tim under his own desk at WE while he abuses Tim’s face and approves things that he knows will make him look weak to the company. Jason uses him as incentive in territory negotiations. He shares him with Black Mask, with the Falcones, with anyone he meets.

They spit in Tim’s mouth and make him swallow it and ask for more. They come on him, and have others come on him, and make him rub it in his skin like lotion until it’s sunk deep. They make him drink their come, make him lap it up off the ground. Dress him up and give him a tail plug and make him act like an animal. They use him as entertainment. Jason Crime Alley with his gang and with the Outlaws, Damian with his school friends and some of his Titans. Put him in outfit and costumes and make him do and say things he never would. They use him but deny him his own release and put him away wet and horny and watch him on their cameras as he wakes up like that, all needy, and frantically rub himself

It’s great but not perfect. They have to be careful with Tim. They can’t fuck him too hard or leave too much evidence. Jason desperately wants to pierce Tim’s tits. They can’t let Bruce or Dick suspect-the only ones who might put up a fuss. But really, the worst part is is that Tim doesn’t even know. It’s great for getting their frustrations with him out, but Tim still don’t accept that they’re superior in every way, he’s still not broken. He’ll fight and break but only because they order him to, not because he has any idea what they’re doing to him.

But Talia is working on a way to make her beloved and Richard look the other way, and she’s just found a promising lead on another set of magical artifacts. She thinks there’s a good chance she’ll get everything situated in just a few months. It’ll be a nice birthday surprise for the interloper. She’s eager to see just how her boys break him once they’re off their leashes.

poor tim 😔😔😔 trapped at the mercy of cruel children 😔😔😔!!!

[verdemoun]

number one kieran duffy fan here i need to know more abt mac or i think ill die. not even with kieran just. tell me abt this silly goose

MAAAAAAAAAAAC

silly goose is the perfect descriptive because mac is just a goose. he is bill but with a sense of humor. he just also happens to be a) ready to escalate to violence at any given second b) shares the john marston curse of happening to look like a really, really intimidating guy and not knowing how to switch it off

he's serving guy who does a little too well in a zombie apocalypse. sure mac enjoyed being an outlaw, sure the one thing in life he is really good at is shooting to kill, but also he was raising his brother from such a young age he really didn't have any opportunity to be anything else.

when he gets out of prison and hosea puts his foot down like no robberies no guns no outlawing we are going straight (well-) mac is kind of like a retired hunting dog learning to be a house pet. he doesn't know how to relax or do things not for survival. there was the necessary push back of what the fuck am i meant to do i'm not good for anything else and hosea shouted back to get a damned hobby or a job

but also post-timewarp post-prison was the first time in his life he's just been safe enough to have a moment to breathe and figure out who he is outside of outlawing (gay). who would've guessed mac callander could read? not only that but he enjoys reading now that he actually has time for it. also one of the only members of the gang to get into sports and will shout at the tv in the last quarter

mac and kieran's friendship works so well because they both identify with 'my resting heart rate registers as a panic attack' but in opposite directions. mac will watch kieran look in the pantry for two hours because he has a craving and hasn't figured out for what yet before suddenly asking mac to walk with him to the local mexican food truck because if he doesn't have a taco he will lose all ability to function for the rest of the day. mac doesn't know what a taco is so 'sure is it dangerous should i bring a knife?'

mac also deeply loves horses he's not taming wild horses riding bareback in love with horses like kieran and arthur but he does love horses and just feels warmth and peace at just the sight of them. he doesn't care if it's the 7th showing of war horse that week he will sit down and watch it with kieran. he will also cry while trying to not make it obvious he is crying like still gruff voice 'course i'm sad the horse collapsed and it's not getting up' while frantically wiping tears away when someone else enters the room

mac is also working through gay panic internalized homophobia. he is fine with the gays and is very dismissive of how much more visible the community is in modern era because why would he, a straight man, care - but gets aggressively agitated when people suggest he is gay. because he is absolutely gold star gay. wouldn't ever formally come out but eventually gets to the point of being able to say he lives with bill without looking ready to kill someone

has a job at a wholefoods stacking fruit before joining bill as a farmhand and thus acquires a really bizarre knowledge of all things fruit and veg. can go on a 20 minute tangent about what classifies as organic produce and which apple is superior for apple pie and how to pick the perfect watermelon without slapping it. still doesn't know how to talk without sounding like he's threatening someone but is genuinely excited to know about something other than where to shoot a man to guarantee they'll bleed out.

trust getting an invite to bill and mac's dingy trailer for dinner is going to be the best meat and veg roast of your life

[cowboyfromh3ll]

God, I LOVE your writing! And I was afraid of sending a request but here I am. 😊 I was thinking a lot about John x Reader, but the reader being a bounty hunter who could have been in love with him (he's in love too) for some time and makes excuses to "go after his bounty" very often.

Nobody

(John Marston x Fem!Reader Fluff)

Hi guys I finally uploaded again teehee

Warnings: none

There was a loneliness so great within you that you could see it within the slow movements of the sun traveling across the sky, in the way the shadows warped and curved in following the sun's path, in the way a clock's hands ticked. An estranged family and being forced to live on your own led you to a new season of loneliness that you could not move on from. You waited patiently for someone or something to take your hand, and lead you into the next phase. But maturing came with the realization that no one would come to save you, so you'd have to fend for yourself.

In many ways, bounty hunting fulfilled you. Financially speaking, it provided you with just enough to get by, but not enough where you could settle down and live comfortably without a care in the world. Bounty hunting also allowed you interesting interactions. You'd occasionally have one on one conversations with the people you were turning in, able to see glimpses into the type of people they were and what type of lives they led besides what was foretold on the bounty posters. It also made you feel less lonely; the intimate nature of some of these conversations made you feel as though you were talking to an old friend you ran into in the middle of the market and wanted to catch up. But as soon as the town approaches on the horizon, your bubble was burst; a reminder that you were in fact turning in a dangerous criminal, and not your old pal who you got into bad sorts with.

You supposed going after John so often was worth it for the thrill alone. He was a conniving little weasel who always found himself getting out of arrest or being turned in. When you saw the $400 bounty on his head, you knew this was someone to go after, though you never did expect to have so much fun.

For one, he put up a fight. They all usually did, but he was so crass and petulant: there was something slightly amusing about the way he squirmed and cried out whenever you lassoed him, the way he grunted and tried to fight back whenever you hog tied him and tightened the rope just enough to keep him teetering on the edge of discomfort. You got a sadistic pleasure out of subduing the man, and you could never consider yourself too disappointed whenever he managed to escape; it always meant you could try and capture him again another time.

It got to the point where you made things too easy for him. You wouldn't run as fast or spur your horse on. You fumbled with knots and didn't draw them nearly tight enough. You indulged in idle chit chat that had nothing to do with your objective to turn him in, which he would use against you to distract you and get away. Surprisingly enough, he actually entertained your meaningless chatter. And you learned quite a deal about him through it.

Outlaw on the run. Rides with a gang. Lives life by no rules. Could he be any more enticing? The fact he had a son with another woman didn't scare you off either. As far as you knew they ended on amicable terms so you supposed you weren't crossing any lines. It's not like you were actively pursuing him anyway.

Well, in a way you were. One could consider seeking him out repeatedly with no real intentions of turning him in to be active pursuit.

On one particular instance of your pursuit, he had finally inquired on your persistence for capturing him.

"Christ woman, I don't know why you keep coming after me. You clearly don't get anything out of it." He continued to thrash and fight back like some deer that'd been caught and was trying to fight off its attackers. His bouts of aggression came in intervals, convulsing like a fish out of water until you finally straddled his back.

"There's a thrill in the chase. Especially when it's such a big fish." You continued to fiddle with ropes, pretending as if you had never tied a knot in your life. "It's also kinda hilarious how I keep catching you."

"Yeah well, you never can quite turn me in at the end of the day." He sneered, smirking to himself in self satisfaction. You scoffed and tied his wrists, pulling on the ropes a painful amount and tying the knot fully.

"Have you ever considered I let you go?" You rebuked.

"Have you ever considered I let you catch me?"

John reveled in your disbelief, taking your silent scoff as a sign that he had won this battle. Suddenly he was turned over by you; you straddling his hips while he lay on the dirt road beneath you. If anyone rode by he couldn't begin to imagine what they would think was going on. Especially in public.

"You keep up that smart mouth and I might actually turn you in this time." You threatened. But it was empty, it held no weight, and you both knew it.

"So you admit you only come after me to see me and not actually turn me in?" He teased.

"I never said that."

"Well, I'm sure there's a ton of other bounties you could spend your time going after instead of wasting your time coming after me for no reason. You must either be really bored, or desperate to see me."

John's comment made you want to pistol whip him, but it also made you want to kiss him. To drop to your knees next to him and bow your head and profess just how much you really liked him. Part of you hoped he also enjoyed your little adventures just as much as you did. That he also looked forward to seeing you every few days and counted down the hours until he felt the snagging texture of your lasso against his skin that was still recovering from the rope burn be gained only days ago.

"You're right, I could. But none of em are quite as entertaining as you are." You stood up from John, towering over him and blocking out the sun from his view. He was afforded a better view of your face, and his sarcastic demeanor melted into one of endearment.

"There's other ways to reach me, woman. But hey, I don't mind playing rough." You rolled your eyes at him, gently kicking his ribs as a warning.

"You're a bold man, John Marston." You chided, squatting down to begin to try and carry him. John was used to the sequence of events, so he stiffened his body to try and help you during the awkward phase of attempting to lug him over your shoulder. Once you did, he put on the same act as damsel in distress.

"You gonna actually turn me in this time?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"I'll see how I feel on the way there."

You were so good at being alone, dealing with the loneliness, until you came after John again, and you were aching all over again.

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Nobody - Mitski

[pluckyredhead]

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (2011)

It's been a while since I've read RHATO, so I figured I'd reread it - and if I'm doing that, why not make you all suffer with me? I will probably get tired of this before I finish all the various series, but let's see how far we get.

Roy, that would probably work better if your bow had a string.

The issue begins with Roy in a prison in Qurac for trying to overthrow a dictator. He's rescued by Jason, in disguise as a pastor in a fat suit (sigh). There's so much wrong with these opening pages: the fat suit, the writing off an entire Middle Eastern nation as evil and corrupt, the fact that there's no way even a collapsed bow would fit inside a hollowed-out bible, the lazy way the panel layouts waste space...and yet. And yet.

These pages. THESE FUCKING PAGES. "His name is Roy Harper. He's an idiot. Nice guy, but an idiot." "His name is Jason Todd. A lot of people say he's crazy...Let's just say the Red Hood is my kind of crazy!"

This kind of parallel narration always makes me think of the 2003 Superman/Batman comic, which used it extensively, to extremely (and likely unintentionally?) homoerotic effect. After I read this issue, I told a friend that I got it now: Red Hood and the Outlaws was Superman/Batman for edgelords.

Which is to say, I'm pretty sure I started shipping these assholes just from these first terrible pages.

(But seriously, there are three pages up there and only five panels. Five panels! Plus some pointless maroon boxes that don't do anything! I want my money back.)

This panel is super misleading, because it implies that Roy and Jason know each other well enough for Jason to tease Roy about being a chatterbox, but later issues will show that barely know each other at this point. But then, trying to keep the backstories straight in this or any Lobdell book is like watching sand run out between your fingers.

And again here, it implies that they were already friends, a team, partners...something. But later we'll learn that they only met once, and it was years ago, when they were kids, so...what gives?

(This page is actually interesting, because Jason is constantly saying playfully mean things to Roy and Roy never seems to mind, but here he clearly hurts Roy, and he knows it.)

Siiiiigh.

To add insult to injury, Jason immediately announces that he's fucked Kori. You'll notice I aggressively ignore this in every fic I've ever written. Part of that is because I love Secret Virgin Jason, but also it just doesn't mesh with his and Kori's relationship throughout the rest of the series or his hilarious lack of game in general, and it's also so inextricably part of Amnesiac Sex Doll Kori that I just want nothing to do with it.

HATE. HAAAAAATE. The devious smile on Jason's face in the bottom row and Roy's calculating expression are so deeply disgusting to me. "This woman can't meaningly consent! She's like a cave fish with a vagina! Sweet!" Scott Lobdell is a vile human being and so is everyone who signed off on this piece of shit. (Fun fact: this was a HUGE controversy when the New 52 launched and the outcry was so loud they walked it back in a later issue when Kori tells Roy she...just lied about all of that for no reason? Okay.)

Also, "ask her about the gang you used to hang with." Uh...what gang is that, Jason? Because Donna didn't exist at this point, Wally was 12, Garth was a literal baby, Vic joined the League immediately upon getting his powers, and Gar was a child being tortured in a lab somewhere. So was it just Roy, Dick, and Raven? And they certainly weren't the Titans, because Tim's team was the founders in this continuity...which Lobdell should have known, since he was also writing that book.

The person asking to speak to Jason is Essence, his ex, who tells him something cryptic about murder victims with missing organs.

YOU DON'T KNOW MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE EITHER, ROY!!! "Remember Garth? The baby?" (Literally, he is a baby who shows up for one panel. In Atlantis.) And who the fuck is Dustin?

Anyway, Kori propositions Roy and he's like "Sure, why not." Did the target audience actually think this was hot? It's so depressing.

Essence tells Jason that something called the Untitled has attacked something called the All Caste, and Jason makes a surprised Pikachu face.

Elsewhere, a guy in a basement looks at a picture of Kori online.

I will admit to liking two things about this page: the fact that Jason's helmet is in the nightstand implies that Roy and Kori fucked in Jason's bed, which is either hilariously rude or an invitation that sailed right over Jason's head, and the red hand print on Roy's chest. It's the first glimpse of a recognizable Roy in this book; he did always like getting manhandled by scarily powerful women, pre-Flashpoint.

Jason goes...somewhere, to a temple of sorts with a lot of vague cultural appropriation going on, and kneels over the corpse of an old lady. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, Ducra," he says, before a bunch of people attack him. END OF ISSUE!

And that's Red Hood and the Outlaws #1! It's confusing, misogynistic, lazily drawn, and not very funny, and there's no reason to be invested in whatever the fuck happened at the end because I know nothing about Ducra, Essence, the All Caste, or frankly, this version of Jason. And yet I am absolutely going to read nine more years' worth of this shit. See you in issue #2!

[choccy-zefirka]

a random OC ask for you: what is your OC's favorite memory?

also: if they were dropped in a random city for a day with a pouch full of gold/relevant currency and no obligations whatsoever, what would they be doing?

Ooooh I will answer this for Cinder, one of my BG3 Tavs, who's a half-Orc, half-Tiefling!

Here's her as a child, hastily painted over Renoir's Girl with a Hoop.

I mentioned before that Cinder's family, particularly her grandfather, was obsessed with preserving and genetically solidifying their infernal heritage, deliberately seeking out marriages with other Tieflings from long family lines with lasting devilish traits (her grandmother was a draconic sorcerer to boot, also seen as a huge plus for the pedigree).

Cinder was born looking entirely like a Tiefling, and before her milk teeth dropped and the new teeth started growing into tusks (revealing that she was a product of her mother's one-night-stand with an Orc), her grandfather spoiled her rotten. His attitude post-reveal changed dramatically — like that of Alma Madrigal from Encanto when Mirabel turned out to have no gift, I am now realizing, but on steroids. Eventually, his insults and physical violence and denial of the domestic comforts, which he'd previously lavished on her, pushed her to run away from home and become the outlaw she is at the moment of tadpoling.

Cinder knows now, both from learning some of her family history and using her adult brain, that her grandfather was a terrible person who, in his quest for perfection, also emotionally abused his children — her mother and uncle — and outright killed her aunt (uncle's wife) in the midst of family drama before Cinder herself was born. She realizes that, even if she did not turn out looking like an Orc, he still would have found ways to make her feel broken and not enough... But even so, the memories of that picture-perfect childhood are her happiest ones (until she makes new memories with her Tadfool Gang and Halsin), and she still misses that time in her life, and hates herself for missing it.

One thing that she associates with her childhood is reading books in her grandfather's library, and she is still quite fond of reading, though now it's more of a well... cringe hobby for her, given that she's found work as a typical bighuge intimidating Orc muscle. So if dropped in a city with a lot of gold and no-one looming over her shoulder to ask questions and wonder passive-aggressively if she even knows what books are for, she'd go to a book store. Maybe visit a couple of museums and raid their gift shops while she's at it.

[nocturnal-birb]

I do hate the fact that until today, I still think of a crossover au between RDR2 and Hell on Wheels

Like imagine, if the gang is in HoW’s universe and the gang (mostly the first members) being the outlaws they are- robbing Duran’t payroll in which Cullen and Elam would cross paths and have a shootout with.

Though as for the ladies, they’d probably be working girls. Some would be tourists or writers visiting the town

I dunno but that just sounds awesome to me and cause I love both RDR2 and HoW so why not combine and have em shit goin’ on

[dark-cynder49]

It’s finally ready… The full design cast of my main AvA/M AUs!

For each one I will add what each of the AvA/M are so don’t worry! I’ll give in-depth explanations later for each individual AU.

Base Designs

Second: Oldest “sibling” (They just have a very close sibling bond, not actually related) Good at almost everything.

Green: “Middle child syndrome”, Musician. Considers Blue his twin.

Blue: Mushroom addiction, covered in bling.

Red: Sweet baby bean, loves animals.

Yellow: Nerd, has a false hand, coughs up red dust occasionally.

Dark: Hands constantly hurt, self doubt, keeps to himself

Chosen: Trying to rebuild relationship with Dark, mentor to Second.

Victim: Mom figure, boosts moral. Fridays are “mimosa mornings”.

Purple: Riddled with guilt, absolutely stunning, wants all the color gang to be his boyfriends.

MT: Annoyed uncle energy. Just wants to live in his castle in peace after his failure.

Mind Corrupt AU

Second: Overwhelmed by grief over loss of others, super charged and aggressive.

Green: Fell into The End abyss, teleports and is blind.

Blue: Drank tainted potion, can’t speak properly.

Red: Under Herobrine’s possession.

Yellow: Lucky Block took over body, spirit floats aimlessly.

Dark: Extreme virus corruption, imprisoned by Second.

Chosen: Mild Virus corruption, imprisoned by Second.

Victim: Glitching out in the void.

Purple: Thrown into End crystal by Second, fragments stuck in his body.

MT: Got infected by zombie pigmen virus, flesh fell off.

Experiment AU

Second: One experiment blasted head open, a bit brain dead(zombie like), messy vision, slurred speech.

Green: Injected crushed Ender pearls, teleports, don’t look into his eyes.

Blue: Injected with netherwart until it grew out of his body, releases toxic gasses to kill prey.

Red: Escaped capture, trying to find the others.

Yellow: Injected redstone into veins, glows, conducts electricity, neck snapped during testing but redstone kept him alive. 

Dark: 80% of body is replaced with robotics, had a memory wipe.

Chosen: Escaped capture, only goal is to restore Dark’s memory.

Victim: No one truly knows what happened to him. Only Dark knew.

Purple: Code was combined with Ender Dragon DNA, turned into a monster hybrid.

MT: Escaped capture, makes sure Chosen and Red stay safe and tries to help Purple.

Western AU

Second: Newly appointed sheriff, trying his best.

Green: Former thief duo, works with Second, ace black jack player.

Blue: Former thief duo, part time snake oil salesman.

Red: Owns a ranch outside of town, often a target for thieves. Has four trained attack wolves.

Yellow: Inventor from the city, helps Second make the town safer.

Dark: Brains of crime duo, former famous actor.

Chosen: Brawn of crime duo, swooned Dark into a life of crime.

Victim: Local saloon owner, don’t fight in his bar.

Purple: MT’s right hand partner, goes into town undercover sometimes.

MT: Most Notorious outlaw, terrorizes Second’s town.

Cryptid AU

Second: Quetzalcoatl, hadn’t unlocked full powers, travels with Yellow.

Green: Sun deity, awake during day, lives in a sacred pool.

Blue: Moon deity, awake during night, lives in a sacred pool.

Red: Fawn nature nymph, lost parents to human hunters, raised by woodland creatures. Follows Yellow.

Yellow: Cryptozoologist, wants to document every mythological creature on earth.

Dark: Tsuchigumo, stolen from human partner, forced to work for Cryptid hunter.

Chosen: Human, Shrine protector had made friends with Dark and grew to love him. Searches for him now.

Victim: Fenghuan, avoid humans like the plague, watches over Second.

Purple: Mothra, captured and forced to work for Cryptid Hunter. Not active during the day.

MT: Cryptid Hunter, wants to hunt down and kill the rarest cryptids he can find.

Mermaid AU

Second: Seops, Able to produce energy shock wave, separated from biological brother as child, takes care of adopted family.

Green: Roseelo, Stunning shrieks, secret language of clicks and chirps, twins with Blue.

Blue: Roseelo, Same as Green, fondness for plant camouflage, twins with Green.

Red: Iepa, Bioluminescent species, special connection with sea horses.

Yellow: Minea, Scales grow hard as rock for defense. Likes to collect human things. 

Dark: Drigger, Whips tail to sting in defense, mates with Chosen, survived human fishing nets.

Chosen: Zonex, Produces electricity, burns from human toxins, mates with Dark.

Victim: Seops, Second’s older brother, separated due to human hunting, trying to find Second after 15 years.

Purple: Ossel, shoots out ink if startled, kingdom was taken over by MT’s kingdom, serves MT.

MT: Vulan, King of multiple kingdoms he takes over, piercing spines that inject a neuro poison that has a parasitic effect.

Tropical God AU

Second: Fire and Volcano god, has a bit of a temper and hates humans. He gets angry, the volcano erupts.

Green: God of peace and music, likes to hang by the beach and make music.

Blue: Nature god, controls the growth of trees and flowers, his health reflects in the plants.

Red: God of Animals, animals of the island love him, has a baby pig follow him constantly.

Yellow: God of rain and weather, cloud of mist follows him everywhere, mood effects the weather.

Dark: God of War and protection, created a barrier of rocks around the island, spends his time talking with Chosen.

Chosen: God of the Sea, sinks any ships that get too close and get past the rock defense.

Victim: God of fertility, love and tranquility, keeps balance and harmony in the island, helps soothe the worries of the others.

Purple: Hired by MT to help him, not as keen on hurting the gods.

MT: Rich explorer who wants to plunder the riches of the island and claim the land for himself.

Demon Familiar AU

Second: King of a land who demoralizes any type of dark magic. Unfamiliar with the world outside and sets off on a journey, accidentally summons two demons.

Green: Demon bonded to Blue, secretly in love, keeps Blue from touching dangerous plants.

Blue: Local alchemist who travels with Second, oblivious to Green’s love.

Red: Poor townsperson who has been able to talk to animals since he was a baby. Travels with Second.

Yellow: Bonded to Red, fights methodically and expertly. Doesn’t like Green.

Dark: Bonded to Second, victim of a priest attack, expert in imp magic.

Chosen: Bonded to Second, cleansed by a priest, unable to touch Dark until he gets rid of the cleansing. 

Victim: Fallen Angel, lost in a battle with MT. Nervous around other demons.

Purple: Social outcast, sacrificed his eye to summon an arch devil to grant him power for revenge.

MT: Bonded to Purple, controls all lesser demons and hates humanity. 

Sovereign AU

Second: Prince of Drinelle, being prepared for taking over the kingdom, nervous about the conflict, has been set up for an arranged marriage.

Green: Knight of Drinelle, serves under King Chosen as captain of the guard. Quested to track down the Mushroom Witch.

Blue: Witch who lives in a forest. Able to cure curses, hexes and charms for a price.

Red: Prince of Frezza, King Mango’s baby brother. Pure innocent bean who gets almost anything, has two giant wolves as pets. Being set up for an arranged marriage.

Yellow: Prince of Drinelle, The youngest prince, more focused in being a scholar than being a ruler. 

Dark: Prince of Vormin, was hated by his own kingdom for being born with dark magic. Has had several attempts on his life.

Chosen: King of Drinelle, Childhood friends with Dark, at conflict with King Mango, cares about his brothers’ safety. 

Victim: King of Vormin, Adores his younger brother and just wants to protect him from danger.

Purple: Royal advisor to King Mango, acts as a sort of baby sitter for Prince Red.

MT: King of Frezza, vindictive and terrifying tyrant. Becomes a bit soft around his baby brother and threatens any potential suitors. 

Robot Escape AU

Second: The only human left on Earth, needs to get to a ship to rejoin the remaining humans in another galaxy.

Green: Retired music robot, scheduled for destruction, had voice box removed, can communicate through sounds.

Blue: Retired garden robot scheduled for destruction, became obsolete when plant life was terminated.

Red: Retired animal caretaker robot scheduled for destruction, became obsolete when animal life was terminated.

Yellow: Retired mechanic robot scheduled for destruction, wants to help Orange escape.

Dark: Defective battle drone, used by MT as a hunter. Vicious when safety protocols are removed.

Chosen: Battle drone, personal guard to Victim. Cares about Dark but can’t do much.

Victim: Core of the city, without him the entire planet would collapse and stop functioning. Naïve about the outside world.

Purple: MT’s personal battle drone. Newest model designed to detect humans.

MT: Second in Command, runs everything under Victim, wants defects, old models and humans killed.

[fruit-salad-ship]

playing Red Dead rn, all I can think of is Cowboy AU.

Grey, a bounty hunter, stoic, very large broad man with few words to say, a horse built like a train, lost his fam to a bad bunch of people a long time ago and grew up with a need to round up the worst of the worst, and haul them off to jail. People misjudge his large form for aggression, but he's quiet, and will never hurt a woman or child, no matter the bounty on their heads. He loves his horse more than life itself, so when its shot by some horrid outlaw, he takes it to the nearest location with any kind of available aid for it.

In comes Peach, a ray of sunshine southern belle, total country bumpkin, she sees his horse, the unit it is, and fixes it up for him, scolding this huge man for letting it happen, but softening when she sees how much he truly loves the damn thing. She is a wrangler and it shows, farm hand with a heart of gold. Carries a banjo everywhere she goes, always singing a song, and dancing around, can ride like no one he knows, and handles a lasso like a pro. Her horse is a gentle soul, and follows her everywhere. After his own mount shows great fondness for the woman, he offers her work to keep the horses in good form, so he has more time to track and hunt his bounties, and she accepts, excited by the prospect of seeing more than her slice of the countryside where she grew up.

They make it to the next town over, Peach staying with the horses, while Grey goes inside to get information. Chaos unfolds around him, a bar fight kicking off, not one he had a hand in. When a gun fires, glasses fall, and lit matches catch, he's suddenly in a burning building, running from the owner who blames him for the fire. Enter Plum, a woman with no mercy, she's small sure but wields a shotgun like it was nothing, somehow managing the kickback on it, much to Greys surprise. Their fight takes to the street as she shouts at him, burning establishment behind her, her pride and joy reduced to ashes. He explains he didn't start it nor finish it, but she wont hear it. She demands he pays for the damages, but he can't, BUT could if he could hand in enough high prices bounties. Plum, with no home, no job, nothing left because of the fire, is left with one option, follow this man to collect the money, so she can rebuild her life. Turns out the gang Grey is hunting recently tore her bar up, and they have common ground wanting them dead and gone. She treats her horse poorly, which immediately puts her and Peach on bad footing. Plum doesn't even name her mounts, and Peach just cant seem to explain that her horse wont listen to her BECAUSE she treats it with such little care.

Some antics:

Plum and Peach working together to work with her horse, which is very skittish.

Peach getting an entire bar up to dance, proper western jaunt, she's on a table singing and playing, pianos going, the other two are at the back, plums robbing them while everyones attentions are stolen. One patron notices, but Grey sits him down, says it's rude to interrupt, and that he should at least see the song to the end out of courtesy. too intimidated, the man does. Peach is none the wiser, just enjoying the music of it all, brings everyone together with her sunshine disposition. Peach being a master of sitting any which way in the saddle, able to essentially lie down and play her instrument while cruising down the road. Sassing Plum who is a poor rider.

grey taking time to braid his horses mane and tail, the largest man the two women have ever seen, putting trinkets in its hair, talking to it when he thinks they're asleep and not listening.

Plum annoyed she has no bar left, because if she could hire peach as an entertainer, she would make a fortune. never says that out loud.

honestly theres so much potential with this one, but yaaaaay, join me in the RoT.

[scarfacemarston]

What is the worst minor thing each character has done? What has annoyed you?

First off, I hate that I have to be so aggressive here but this post is my opinion and none of you will bully me out of it. I say that because I dislike one popular character. I’ve seen a lot of people bullying each other for liking or disliking character, especially in the past few days. We all have different reasons for disliking characters. This is a random list and not a list of favorites or least favorites.

Karen - She is not willing to give up the outlaw life. That’s her opinion and she can do that, but I feel like she’s more heartless to those who aren’t in the gang.  This is an outlaw thing, not a gender thing. She’s very underestimated and I would say that while she has standards, of course, she is one of the more heartless gang members when she is in rob mode. For example, she has no problem robbing indiscriminately whereas Tilly called her out for robbing people who were worse off than they were. John, Sean, and Arthur are the same, though, but Karen for whatever reason seems to care less. I do think she’s a kind and selfless person to those she loves and I felt terrible for her, but she’s proud of being an outlaw and I think that’s a dangerous mistake. Again, this can be said of a lot of gangs.

Bill- existing. His racism and the way he treats Kieran. It’s just not possible to narrow it down to one thing. People excuse his behavior because of dementia and PTSD. No. There are tons of people with dementia and PTSD who do not do the things or hold the attitudes Bill has. However, I will praise him in that he did defend Arthur in chapter 6 when some people were making fun of Arthur’s illness. Javier - I’m a bit more sympathetic because he really was manipulated. Bill was, too, but I also have RDR 1 Bill that I’m thinking about. The worst minor thing Javier has done is his rude comments to Arthur when he was sick. Also, there was one instance where he was really rude to Bill for no reason and even Arthur stepped in. Other than that, I don’t really have any complaints at all.

Tilly - None. She’s never done anything that annoyed me. After John and Abigail, she’s tied with Hosea for third place for my favorite character.

Swanson - I feel I like can’t really be too hard on him because the addiction really twisted him and I’m SO proud of him for getting clean. I think he’s a good man at heart. The worst thing was him stealing from the camp box. Joe and Cleet - existing. Molly - her snobbiness and unwillingness to do chores. She really alienated herself by doing so. The gang is by no means perfect and they aren’t angels, but she could have made some friends who could have supported her more. I really feel for her, though and I think at some points, she did try to make friends.

Sean - bullying Kieran by headbutting and threatening him.

Kieran - nothing really. I honestly can’t think of anything so bad. He has some crazy insults, I’ll give him that. 

Lenny’s worst thing is more of him making a mistake than anything. The way he approached the Lemoyne Raiders when it was a trap was a huge mistake, but that was the worst of it. He’s damn smart and brave. He KNOWS the gang is falling apart and I think he was making plans based off of it. Hosea - I think being arrogant towards the Braithwaite's was one of his biggest mistakes and it led to his death. Also, he talked about how horrible he was as a young man, so he must have done something. We just don’t know what besides him robbing indiscriminately. 

Strauss - Two things: He stupidly gave loans to people who had NO hopes to pay him back. The most desperate of people and then he made the gang be his attack dogs so to speak - Bill was one of them. He sent Arthur to his death and had no sympathy for Arthur when he was sick. Granted, this is no different from something you would see in any mob but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.. Pearson is SUPER passive-aggressive and that’s one of my hugest pet peeves. He reminds me a lot of my mother. I know he’s trying to help the camp, but he makes me so angry sometimes.

Grimshaw - Slapping the girls, yelling at them, and trying to force Abigail back into prostitution. Uncle - His laziness is pretty bad, but as far as doing the worst thing? I don’t know. Maybe trying to send Jack to “buy” / steal liquor for him. Trelawny - he’s actually not bad. The worst thing though is never knowing whose side he is on, but he proved to be very loyal, sometimes more loyal than the rest of the gang was. He’s overall a good person.

My least favorite character not counting Micah or BIll is absolutely Mary-Beth. I know she has her own coping mechanisms for trauma and that is valid. However, a lot of it is just her genuine personality. I will say that if she existed and I met her IRL, I would never be rude, of course.I cannot stand her at all. I think she’s entitled and naive.  I think her upbringing is a big part of it. She’s very whiny and what irritates me the most is her comments at the most inappropriate of times and her inability to fully realize the situation she’s in. Again, I understand that some people are more likely to put themselves in a fairy tale world, but she’s in a very dangerous situation where you have to stay alert. Some daydreaming is fine and maybe I shouldn’t gate keep, but you have to balance that. I will say that she is kind and a decent person, I just personally can’t stand her. We are the polar opposite of each other. I’ve been compared to both Miss Grimshaw (Without the Abuse) and Abigail - both of who are very different from her. I’ve met people like her in real life and I never liked them, but I was always professional and polite. This next thing is NOT Mary-Beth’s fault, but another thing is that people protect her like she’s RDR’s darling, but they won't defend or praise some of the other characters who are just as kind and “pure” like Tilly. Again, this is not Mary Beth’s fault. Overall, this is MY opinion. I don’t wish her death or anything insane like that. I just find her extremely annoying. We have opposite personalities.

[verdemoun]

Don't know if you're still receving asks, but could you talk about the Callander boys? Really intrested in how they doing, their raletionship as brothers, with the gang, if they have partners, how they look like. Also if they were some of the first that died how they manage to find each other?

yes still receiving asks! just went back to work full time so sorry for the delay! i will answer these questions backwards

mac knew the gang were heading north, and despite being shot made it a significant way north before the pinkertons caught up with him. if anything, mac being found by the pinkertons heading in that general north direction is what made it so easy for the pinkertons to follow traces of the gang to horseshoe overlook.

he timewarped roughly around cattail pond, and with no idea what was happening or going on, he just continued going north because finding his brother was his only priority

davey, similarly, woke up with very little idea what the hell was happening but thinking he'd been left behind by the gang after passing out instead of realizing he'd died (blood loss + infection is a hell of a drug), he turned around and started trekking back towards blackwater in an effort to find mac. before the delirium and gaps on consciousness kicked in he had been shouting at anyone who would listen that they had to go back for mac

they found each other, finally took a second to acknowledge the fact the whole world seemed so different, only to immediately attempt to rob a bank at gunpoint due to timewarping with everything that was on their persons at the time. this resulted in them being arrested and charged with aggravated robbery and being sentenced to a 10 year prison sentence before bessie was able to find them

if anything they almost enjoyed prison. significantly less working on a chain gang compared to 1890s. and doing 10 years, having prison routine, gaining some practical skills and being able to learn about modern era through supervised computer time was probably the only way mac + davey had a chance of learning.

even with the VDLs, and being aggressively protective and productive members of the VDLs, mac and davey had always been solely dedicated to each other. the members of the gang who did know them on a more personal level almost accepted the second davey died they weren't going to find mac, because they were always absolutely inseparable.

just being around the gang in modern era would not have been enough for them to cope - they needed that slow, can't do anything in prison other than realize they're in a completely different era and there's new rules and expectations

their relationship as brothers is really, really intense. mac pretty much raised davey after their parents died to avoid him going into an orphanage. that level of blind, reckless devotion never went away. he is His baby brother no matter how old he gets. and davey has gotten used to that, and sees anything or anyone trying to take his brother away from him as a threat to be annihilated.

when they get out of prison of course bessie + hosea and the collective gang are happy to help them try to adjust to both modern era and life outside of prison. mac is excited for a second chance at life. he's willing to try getting a shit job and engage with modern era and see how the world has changed because it's the first time in his life since the death of his parents he hasn't had to be an outlaw to fight for his and his brother's survival

davey, on the other hand - loathes modern era. he doesn't remember anything other than fighting alongside his brother, the gangs they rode with, terrorizing the west and living lawlessly. every time mac tries to take a step forward, davey is there barking and pulling trying to take two steps back. and mac will never leave his brother behind. toxic siblings.

things only get worse when bill turns up. because bill being there means the callanders have to address the big, rainbow elephant in the room. mac is gay. mac is 'has never been with a woman physically or romantically' gay. both mac and davey have those 19th century values, and when it was just the two of them running they never had to bring it up because davey could live in denial and mac didn't exactly have time to pursue relationships.

the closest they ever got to addressing it was riding with the VDLs, because bill and mac were.. very close in canon era. and when davey made it clear he didn't like bill, everyone just assumed it was because bill is bill not because he actually had an issue with bill's 'deviancy'.

but modern era, no gunslinging, no distractions, an increasingly visible and loud circa 2010s pro-lgbt atmosphere, mac is actually realizing he isn't as deformed for liking men as 19th century would have him believe meanwhile davey is so obnoxiously homophobic hosea is 👌 close to punching him in the throat. not only because he appreciates mac is trying to better himself and davey is an anchor absolutely drowning him, and very much likely to get them both thrown in prison again, but also so many of his gang children are big old glitter bomb gays and he will not have davey making that an issue in his wife's damned house.

inevitably, davey fucks up. davey actually kills somebody and gets sentenced to a proper 20-life prison sentence, and for the first time in their lives (other than the immediate aftermath of blackwater) the callanders find themselves separated. mac is constantly visiting but davey somehow blames mac for him being in prison, and also is just kind of a shit of a little brother who thinks mac trying to have a life is a betrayal

mac moves in with bill and also works on the ranch because a) he still really doesn't get modern era and finds peace in being around horses, herding, doing manual labor farmhand style and b) no one should overanalyze the fact there is only one bed in the camper they now share

[bestworstcase]

I hope it's ok to ask but I'm writing a narcissistic character and need some advice. Emily is going to be the main heroine of a comic I'm writing (last name is now Rosa rather than Morrigan) and the thing is, this story doesn't have much to do with a dying culture as much as it takes place in a weird west kind of world during a mystical form of the Dust Bowl. She still has an older brother (Andre, I know) and he's less motivated as an extremist and more motivated as someone who enjoys things going his way under the guise of anarchy (he's the leader of an outlaw gang), do you have tips for writing a character like that?

ok so uh. broadly. the answer is write them the same as you would write any character.

there is - to tangent a little - a pretty common perception that ‘narcissistic’ or ‘sociopathic’ people, in both the colloquial sense and the more specific usage of these words as adjectives to describe people who have NPD or ASPD respectively, are in some way fundamentally different from other people. and of course if we’re using these terms in the more specific way, as a shorthand for ‘person with narcissistic personality disorder’ or ‘person with antisocial personality disorder’ then like yes of course they do have these quantifiable psychological differences from the neurotypical norm but not any more so than any other significant lifelong form of neurodivergency. which is to say that people with personality disorders are human beings with the same capacity for self-determination and personal growth and rich interiority and moral complexity as anyone else. 

likewise, with the colloquial meanings of these words - they describe personality traits, or sometimes behaviors, and that’s all. there is, for example, no contradiction in a person being narcissistic and also altruistic, generous, and pleasant to be around. thinking very highly of oneself and having an egocentric view of the world is not intrinsically linked to being a cruel and selfish person.

they especially are not synonymous with ‘abusive.’ abuse stems from a fixation on wielding power and control over other people, and there is no direct correlation with narcissism or sociopathy in either the colloquial or the clinical sense. 

so, with that out of the way,

as a personality trait, in my opinion the key feature of narcissism is not just ego but ego combined with an intense underlying fragility. when you have a big ego and an overblown sense of your own importance, there are—inevitably—going to be times when that runs up against the plain reality that You Are Not The Best, and that really hurts. it’s painful! it sucks! and if you’re someone who practices good mental hygiene you can be mindful about this and develop good, healthy strategies to mitigate this pain (by working to keep your ego in check) and ride it out when it does hit without trying to offload it onto somebody else by projecting blame. but if you’re not, often what happens is either really catastrophic self-loathing spirals, or the aggressive behavior of trying to push that shame onto someone else, or maybe both. and then if a narcissistic person with poor mental hygiene also has no respect for the sanctity of other people’s boundaries or regard for their feelings then this can start to creep into abusive territory because they’ll self-soothe by ripping into people who can’t or won’t stand up for themselves.

and of course from a writer’s perspective, this is a playground, because any time you have a trait that is kind of defined by contradiction like this you can get so much mileage out of that push and pull.

on the other hand,

if you’re looking to write someone who is controlling and/or abusive - i think the biggest obstacle there is, if you’re a remotely normal person who can’t fathom treating another person in such an abominable way, just... not understanding what drives a person to act that way, and that can make it hard to portray the behaviors, because you don’t quite know what the reasons for it are? it’s sort of like trying to bake a cake without ever having seen a cake recipe. 

imo the best way to close this knowledge gap for yourself is to read why does he do that by lundy bancroft [link goes to archive.org]. and i actually think that this is a book that everyone should read, because it’s basically a primer on how to recognize abusive patterns of behavior and why those patterns exist and that is useful and potentially life-saving knowledge for... everyone. so read why does he do that. 👍