Shes finally finished.... my girl... my gal... ME....
This Madalynn- my self-insert for my James Earl Cash self-ship!!
Shes a private investigator hired by the Journalist to gather information on Starkweather and his snuff films, needing more daming evidence on the guy.
Shes 25, 5'3 (cause I am irl), pronouns are she/her, and bisexual (because I am shhh).
Madaylnn is first introduced at the end of Fueled by Hate- where she discovers the exact location Starkweather is filming at and takes a look because, well, its a golden opportunity with plenty of proof to bring back to our dearest Journalist!
But... despite her meticulous planning and carefulness thus far, this case truly goes far deeper then she could have ever imagined...
Starkweather isn't stupid, and he sure as hell doesn't like some broad snooping around his film! No no! This'll ruin everything he's built up! If she's so curious, though, he could always.... have the Skinz kidnap her and bring her to Cash, forcing her to participate in the rest of the snuff film- since she's oh so curious and all!
She's an anxious gal, jumpy and not much of a fighter at all- but she has brains, a lot brains, and a lot of determination, too. Even if she cant bring herself to kill, she can rig the game as much as Cash needs, anything to ensure their victory.
Cash, bredudgingly helps her through, not entirely a big fan of this random woman tagging along. But, shes really sweet, and helps him out of tight situations, and nurses his wounds, and protects him when needed... not to mention cute...
Wait... does he... like her?
(Only posting her this once to the Manhunt tag... I dont want to flood all the Manhunt posts with them- these two have their own tags anyway hehe)
I finally got around to drawing Madalynn's new design! Or more specifically, her new outfit!
Colors are flat/without shading so I know what the base colors look like for future reference- I plan on making some actual, fully rendered pieces of her if I ever find time!
In the top left, for anyone who cant tell what thats supposed to be- its Cash! With a freshly bandaged up arm from part of her skirt, she patched him up first time they met, and its the ONLY reason he even allowed himself to begin trusting her in the first place.
Her bag carries her camera!
Bonus: because I suck at drawing shoes... here's what they're SUPPOSED to look like
They're my shoes! My prized possessions! I wear these bad boys any chance I get so I wanted to incorporate it into Madalynns design :3c
Cash loves you even on your worst of days / weeks btw.
He is making you a nice warm bowl of chicken noodle soup.
(He's trying his best, he's never properly cooked a meal)
I hope he knows I love and appreciate everything he does for me- it ain't always perfect, but he tries his best and honestly? That's all I could ask for <3
The chicken noodle soup tastes extra tasty, not because he made it with anything special, but because he made it and that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside hehehe :3c
(Off topic: in hindsight- yeah, hes been on the run for god knows how long, was on death row for three years AND was forced into a snuff film I have zero clue when the last time this goober cooked was. A part of me don't even think he cooks cooks, he can follow basic box instructions and thats it do NOT ask him to pull some recipe out his ass he can't </3)
That was fast, I wasn't expecting that!!!! O.O uh uh, oh shit I havent even compiled all my thoughts together yet!!!
Ehhhhh who cares though? I love yapping about this goober so much mueheheheh he means the world to me!!
So, here are those James Earl Cash takes! Enjoy!
🍓 - disregarding the career your f/o currently has, what other career would they consider going into, if given the chance?
Im going to mostly go on speculation/headcanons here, since pre Manhunt we aren't given a clear and exect answer regarding what he did before his arrest, so bare with me!
But, from the information *I've* personally gathered, he was definitely a hitman before his arrest; would explain his unexplainable ability to pick up any weapon handed to him and use it to kill someone quickly and swiftly. (Ignore the fact I've already yapped about this- it's for the sake of the post m'kay!?)
So we're going off the assumption *that* was originally his line of work. So, if he were working anywhere else, what would it be?
I actually headcanon after the events of Manhunt, after he took some time to lay low and get as many eyes off of him as possible, he decided to become a mechanic- specifically for cars and the such. He's got the strength for it, and he's both smart and nimble enough to handle heavy machinery like a car- plus, its a small, odd job that no one would suspect him of doing.
(Plus.... James Earl Cash in a tanktop.... covered in oil..... ohhhhhh my gooooddddd.....)
🍊 - if you asked your f/o to peel an orange for you, what would they do?
He would absolutely peel the orange for me, but would also point blank ask why I can't. Not in the sense that he thinks its a stupid task and doesnt want to, he's happy to help out when needed; but moreso on the fact that he thinks I'm asking because I can't or dont know how, and that confuses him cause like, its an easy job.
He'll offer to show me how and I'd have to explain to him what the whole thing means. After that he'd be all like: "Oh. Yeah, I'll do it for you." He's not good with social queues, guys, give him a break; he's a little autistic. (We love him either way though.)
🍍 - if you could change any one thing about your f/os backstory/character, what would you change? why?
Nothing. He's perfect. 10/10 character, he's so interesting, I want to pick a part his lore (what little we have anyway) and just dive in deep like my life depends on it. I must preach his story to the mountain tops like it is gospel!
....
Okay, okay- jokes aside, there isnt really much I would change. He doesnt have a lot of backstory and I think it honestly works out in his character's favor. He's a mysterious guy with an unknown history- all we know with base game context (excluding voicelines and the such) is he was on death row and, for a game like Manhunt, I feel like thats all we really *need* to know.
I do still wish, either way, that we got to learn more about his past, though; specifically what he did to end up on death row, so I guess I'd change that.
Also, wish he spoke more, I love his voice and I wish to hear it more than we actually did.
Thats all I have, honestly- thank you for indulging me as usual, Iron!!! :3c
I finally got around to writing the lore for my Manhunt self ship self insert- Madalynn!! It's a bit of a long one, I may or may not have gotten a bit carried away in the writing, so buckle up!
- "Who is Madalynn?"
Name: Madalynn Myers
Age: 25
Pronouns: She/Her
Height: 5'3
Weight: 225
Birthday: September 20th
Occupation: Private/Undercover investigator
Voice claim: Kit (Gamoverse)
- "What is her backstory?"
Madalynn has always had a strong sense of justice; although, any normal, well meaning person would after living in a place like Carcer for so long, especially in the poorer side of town, where everything is far more dull and dangerous than usual. She’s seen it all growing up; the violence, the cruelty- how crime here goes on like a daily occurrence and not a soul dares to care, how the police turn a blind eye and let it run. Like a parent watching their child steal a cookie from the cupboard, a harmless act that earns you a smack on the wrist and a small ‘do better’ lecture- only instead of a snack; its gang wars, death, theft, assault, murder; the worst of the worst.
She’d been lucky to never personally encounter it despite her location, opting to always keep her head down, mind her own business, and avoid suspicious folk like the plague. It was only her and her mother, afterall (grandma whenever the elder had time to visit); an only child whose father left long before she was ever born; she simply couldn’t risk getting caught up in anything that would come back to bite her in the ass.
And it seemed her tactic of staying as small and unnoticeable as possible had worked out well for her.
Yet, unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for her mother.
She can remember it all as clear as day: thirteen, coming home from school to police cars surrounding her home, grandmother standing on the doorstep in tears before a group of cops; she remembers hearing the news, remembers how numb her whole body went, how the whole world seemingly stopped in that very moment- her heartbeat thumping in her chest, ears ringing as the words echoed in her head like a disgusting mantra.
Gang violence; a gang caught her coming home, and simply decided it was her time, those supremacist bastards she’d seen wandering the junk yard for years now.
She couldn’t grapple with the knowledge, the new found memory that her own mother, the woman who sacrificed everything for her was gone, leaving her and her grandmother behind. Yet worst of all, she couldn’t handle hearing the police, the people who were supposed to protect her, who were supposed to bring justice…
Saying there was nothing they could do.
Bullshit, all of it was bullshit, and even her young age Madalynn could tell you that much. This system, its police, Carcer as a whole- she had decided from that day on that all of it is a fucking joke, and if the people who were supposed to protect it’s citizens couldn’t even do that, then someone else has to.
She didn’t expect herself and herself alone to make much of a difference, nor did she ever think she would be capable of something grand- but even if it wasn’t, even if it’s something small; if it makes things better, if it makes someone's life easier, safer, then she’d do it in a heartbeat.
So, the moment Madalynn graduated, she left for Los Santo’s, doing all that she could to acquire a private investigator’s license, hoping that by shining light on the cruel and unjust, she could make things right.
Madalynn had been apprehensive about going back to Carcer, avoided it like the plague for years, unsure if she could stomach seeing any of those faces again.
Yet a strange phone call from a journalist changed everything, lured her back like fish toward bait. An underground snuff film ring, being conducted by a washed up movie director. Sounds like something that’d happen there, and it sounds like something she needs to put an end to, one way or another.
- "How did Madalynn get here in the first place?"
Madalynn’s story begins when she discovers the exact location our snuff film is being recorded at. A golden opportunity she simply couldn’t pass up, evidence that she could accrue and get that sick bastard thrown in jail once and for all.
So she took her camera, notes and pistol; clipped her recorder right onto her necklace and made haste toward the filming site: Carcer City’s junk yard.
She’d trained for this, had faith in her skills and investigative work; and realistically, Madalynn could have left the scene unscathed, photos and audio in hand.
Unfortunately for her, Starkweather is always two steps ahead, has eyes and ears everywhere. He was bound to find out about her. He should have killed her, should have the Skinz put her down on the spot and yet, he couldn’t help but admire how far she got, how close she was- he had to give credit where credit was due, and killing her after all that hard work just seemed so unfair.
If she wanted to see, then why not give her a front row seat?
Starkweather threw together a last second scene just for this, just for her (right after White Trash yet before Fueled by Hate) and threw Cash into the ring of fire, briefing him on just what exactly is going on, what exactly he is expected to do.
“Sorry to interrupt, Cash, but there’s been a change of plans. You see, we have a uh… ‘Peeping Tammy’ on our hands. Broad got a little too close to the fire and found herself getting burned. Normally I’d just have my men kill her and move on but… well, she seemed so eager to witness our little game for herself, and I simply couldn’t say no! Afterall, every hero needs their side kick; aint that right, Cash?”
“The girl is being held hostage by the Skinz, locked away somewhere in this very junkyard. If you want, you can go rescue her and she can tag along. If not, you can leave, and I’ll have her executed. Your choice, so choose wisely.”
Cash is a killer, but not for fun nor for pleasure- he kills for work, for money; it’s all business to him. He could care less about some lady getting herself caught into the jaws of the beast- that's her problem, not his; yet, knowing this isn’t her fight, knowing she had nothing to do with this and yet was still forced to take part in it all rubbed him entirely the wrong way. So, despite himself, he walked in, and decided to save her life.
- "What was her initial opinion of Cash?"
Madalynn was skeptical of Cash, to say the least. He’s a convicted criminal, a death row inmate, killed all sorts of people, people in power. He’s the same human scum she’d worked her ass off to have thrown in jail- yet he saved her life, killed her captors and freed her from her cell when he didn’t have to, willingly got himself injured when he could have left her for dead.
He risked his life for her safety, and she couldn’t let such a good deed go unrewarded.
So, she used part of her skirt to patch his wounds, and swore she’d do anything to ensure they’d both make it out of this alive.
"I know everything about that fucker talking in your ear, I can help you out, and I can help you end this, you just need to trust me."
“We’re both smart as is, so our wits together would make quite a deadly duo, wouldn’t it?’
- Scrapped Plots/Ideas
This section is pretty self explanatory- I had two rough draft ideas when crafting out Madalynn as a character and what her backstory would be like. I thought It'd be fun to share those ideas with you guys, so here they are! Enjoy!!
Scrapped plot one:
As a placeholder, Madalynn was a normal girl who simply ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s nothing interesting, pretty basic honestly, and I only used it as a place holder until I came up with something more interesting.
Scrapped plot two:
Madalynn is Starkweather's daughter, who learns about his grotesque hobbies after finding one of his films and watching it, thinking it to be one of his older Hollywood movies. She is disgusted by what she’s seen, and decides to dig deeper, wondering just how long her father had been doing this, and just how far he’s willing to go. When she hears about his up-in-coming Manhunt, starring none other than convicted death row inmate James Earl Cash, she knew she had to do something.
So she acts as his second guide, high jacking the ear piece and helping him throughout the entire film. They wouldn’t have met until Key Personnel, where she would help him find her father and then kill him.
This plot was scrapped for two reasons:
1) Starkweather is gay as fuck and would not be caught DEAD sleeping willingly with a woman.
2) A woman would not be caught dead willingly sleeping with him
It made no sense character wise for anyone, so I decided to scrap it.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Annnndddddd that's all I have!!! Thank you for reading!!
Fun Facts about my Manhunt self-insert OC for my yumeship!
- Madalynn is bisexual! I know I've said it before but I wanted to reiterate it hehe. She's supposed to be a representation of me, after all, so I'm bound to reflect certain parts of myself onto her.
- Madalynn suffers from extreme dermatitis/psoriasis, particularly on her wrists and ankles. Normally I had no intention of adding this to her character, but I genuinely have NEVER seen a character, oc or pre-established, who is shown to have dermatitis, and that was wild to me! Especially as someone who does have it! So I added it to her character in hopes someone could relate.
- Madaylnns mother and grandmother are from deep in the south, so they spoke with a country accent and dialect. Madalynn picked up on some of their dialect and accent growing up, the latter of which she grew out of since she'd get picked on a lot about it. However, sometimes, when she's extremely angry or frustrated, that southern accent of hers comes back.
- Madalynn loves photography! If she didnt become a private/undercover investigator, she would have been a photographer instead.
- Madalynn has a small garden in her apartment back in Los Santo's! She grows tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, and cucumbers! Her garden is her pride possession and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
- Madalynn is a decent cook, has to be with all the food she's growing. She learned everything she knows from her Grandmother, who taught her to cook and bake as a way to distract her from her mother's murder.
- Madalynn is extremely smart and intuitive. She passed almost every class with A's and B's- key word on almost. Science, specifically chemistry and biology, she will never understand.... honestly she only ever understood botany, everything else is like hearing a language you don't understand. Don't ever ask her where that D- came from, she will enter psychosis.
- Her favorite color is yellow!
- Despite taking a job from the journalist to gather evidence of Starkweathers film, Madalynn is extremely squeamish, and almost threw up the first time she saw Cash kill someone.
- You remember how the gallery for Manhunt explains that before he became a snuff film director, Lionel Starkweather made generic Hollywood films? Well, Madalynn has seen one of his Hollywood films before, and liked it! She was genuinely so shocked when her and the Journalist met up, where she was promptly filled in on who was making these snuff films. ("The fucking 'House Crashers' guy!?")
- Has a small tattoo of a honey bee on her ankle, in memory of her mom.
