#scribe rafael

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the gang’s here! seeing as I’m doing a clean install of the game, I decided to get my characters’ presets in order. so why not take some cute pics, right? (shh I know the Bran one isn’t new). in order:

Evangeline, Brandon; Kieran, Sal; Rafael, Tabitha

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3, 8, 17, 22, 31, and 47 for Kieran? 10, 12, 23, 35, 36, and 48 for Rafa?

Thank you for the ask, and I’m sorry for taking so long! (this one had also been sitting in my drafts mostly done, for whatever reason.)

The Excessively Detailed Headcanon meme

for Kieran:

3: Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?

Kieran does exercise, but it’s more of a practical thing than anything else. He doesn’t do it to get fit, or feel healthy, or anything like that. I doubt that wastelanders would bother with something like this anyway, but regardless. He ends up doing a lot of exercise without meaning to - he walks everywhere, bow wielding takes strength and effort, there is always something or another that needs repairs in his cabin, and he needs firewood to cook and warm up. Aside from that, surprisingly enough, you’ll find him doing some pushups or lifting something every now and again, usually in the morning. He does it because he needs to, though, and  it’s basically the only sort of self-care he allows himself, otherwise his body just doesn’t work. A lazy day means excruciating pain on the next one. Not to mention burning all that energy is one of the few things that helps him fall asleep at night.

8: Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulging

Kieran has a lot of trouble cutting himself some slack, even when he’s feeling particularly lenient. He also doesn’t know himself well, and has never tried to discover what sorts of things would make him feel better after a stressful or flat out bad day. It’s pretty much a concept he’s never considered. He is aware that being around people is almost an indulgence, and he rarely allows himself that.

17: Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dress

For someone who grew up in a reclusive Maine village and later spent a year on raider-infested Quebec, Kieran has developed a fairly… Decent, dare I say, fashion sense. Mostly he wears what feels comfortable, and though he won’t admit it, he’s actually picky with it. Cargo pants, jeans, denim jackets, long sleeved shirts and t-shirts with funny writings he can’t read make up 80% of his wardrobe. He is also a big fan of leather jackets and fair isle knit sweaters. Despite the lumberjack aesthetic, he’s not big into plaids.

When it comes to rituals, he only has one - if he’s going out to hunt, he needs to tuck his shirt inside his pants, and the ends of his shoelaces somewhere he can’t see them. Otherwise it just feels like something’s wrong.

22: Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?

If there’s someone nearby, he won’t touch it. He’ll pretend he doesn’t know what those things are for. If he’s alone, though? He’ll double check no one will see him and might attempt to write, or draw, something. But he will likely fail, because he barely remembers how to hold a pencil. Will do it with the wrong hand, as well, because I imagine that if trying to force a child’s laterality is still a thing today, it is possibly the norm where he grew up. He was taught to write with his right hand and never learned, because he’s left-handed; no one ever told him that, maybe, he could try using his other hand. Seeing a left-handed person writing would be fascinating for him.

31: Most prized possession?

The cookbook his mother gave him before he left the village. He still remembers leaving - she was the only one who knew what he intended to do, and promised she would take that secret to her grave. She prepared a little package with things she thought would be useful for him - clothes, blankets, a new knife, and her generations old family cookbook. She figured he’d need to know how to fend for himself, and having a book would give him good reason to actually try and start reading again.

47: How do they express love?

This is an interesting one. Kieran isn’t at all good at talking about his feelings, much less recognizing them for what they are. But he would express love through his actions. He’s an all around helpful person with people he cares about, but he’ll be even more so with a person he loves. Will cook something for you if he thinks you look hungry. Might give you random gifts because this just reminded him of you. Will help with repairs around your home, help water your crops, whatever it is he feels needs doing. He can get a bit suffocating sometimes, and it takes him some adjusting, but he doesn’t react poorly to getting told to back off a little. Being able to take care of someone is incredibly rewarding for him, but also new.

for Rafa:

10: Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such?

This is interesting, and something I’d never stopped to think about. But well: Rafa is extremely paranoid when the topic is the big, wild wasteland just outside his door. Strangely enough, the idea of dying doesn’t scare him; he’s scared of becoming a bloodthirsty raider if left to his own devices. He doesn’t get sent out into the wasteland often, but when he does, he takes extra precautions not to have much contact with anything capable of speech, and makes sure wherever he spends the night is a well hidden place. This because he had a very traumatic childhood - abused by his parents, denied the dignity of having a name, watching the only thing he ever befriended die a horrible death in front of him; he was then attacked by critters multiple times while waiting for his parents and trying to fend for himself, then ultimately a man tried to violate and sell him into slavery. The trauma stuck. His PTSD led to a deep depression and his reclusive behavior. That he was allowed to nurse that is, indirectly, Maxson’s fault: he was the one who allowed Rafael to say “no” to every mission, even when Cade gave the greenlight.

That he ends up on field missions is both a curse and a blessing - he gets triggered time and again and has some pretty nasty episodes, but is lucky enough to be sent on missions with the likes of Rhys and Haylen, some of his only friends in the Brotherhood. That Haylen has tact with people and had talked to Cade about Rafa’s condition beforehand helped a lot. He also gets the opportunity to read books on the subject, which proves to be important. Despite not ever opening his mouth about it, Rafa is very self-aware - he knows, roughly, what is wrong with him, and why. He dismisses it as simple, medical curiosity, but he starts hoarding material on mental illnesses and by the time he gets kicked out of the BoS and joins the Institute he is quite a bit better. He is all too aware his mind is his own worst enemy, and figures learning about his condition will give him at least a bit of comfort when times get rough. When he takes up the mantle of wandering wasteland doctor, he finds it quite rewarding to notice how many people he can treat while never ever touching them, just because his knowledge and experience taught him that not every ailment is strictly physical.

12: Favorite book genre?

He tends to prefer anything non-fiction. Nothing too boring, however, like physics books or manuals on engineering (looking at you, Brandon). We’re talking history, anthropology, biographies. He does read fiction books from time to time, and always ones that involve some sort of mystery. Crime novels, mainly. He’ll have a hard time admitting, but he’s also a fan of pre-war horror stories and fantasy. Ghosts, mythical creatures, aliens - he’s into it all.

23: How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

Oh, boy. Very. At least when it comes to his work. He is the one in charge of papers because while Quinlan is mostly organized, Rafa takes it to another level. He is the one who accepts, sorts and files all the paperwork, and he is both very thorough and very good at what he does. This extends to every day life, and he leads it quite methodically.

He changes considerably after leaving the Institute, because for once his life and his work are not directly connected. He saw both the BoS and the Institute as his whole life, so he was overly organized always. Once he’s found a little place for himself in the Commonwealth, once he’s found something he enjoys doing, he starts to separate things. When it comes to work, everything is perfectly organized; but you’ll find a shirt or two laying around or a book misplaced in his bedroom.

35: What activities do they enjoy, but consider to be a waste of time?

Anything that isn’t work. Rafa has a hard time adjusting to the concept of fun. Again, because he sees his work as his whole life, and it’s all he’s ever known. He sees no point in doing anything else if it won’t benefit his work in some way. It’s part of the reason he gave up writing altogether.

36: What makes them feel guilty?

His apathy. Time and again he is given opportunities to do instead of watch and every single time, he turns those opportunities down out of fear. He pretends he is cold-hearted and maintains this stance even when called out, but at the end of the day, it makes it a little harder to fall asleep.

48: If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?

It’s… Conflicting. Because he is a logical guy and tends to be an excellent strategist. He’s studied how to win a battle, he knows he must put some thought into it. But then his instincts kick in - he was born and raised in the wasteland, and he survived because he was quicker, more violent and reckless than his opponents. Fighting like your life depends on it is the best strategy he’s come across - but it’s ugly. He doesn’t like it. This usually means he’ll go in trying to keep things civilized, but by the time the fight is over there will be blood on the ground and it likely won’t be his. Or, at least, not just his.

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been thinking... I want Rafa out of the Brotherhood. but I don’t want him to just leave. I want him kicked out, vilified, left with no friends, no resources. just the clothes on his back. and I want all of that to happen and he’ll still believe in the Brotherhood, and what they used to stand for, and their mission. I want him to feel utterly alone and with no goals in life.

now picture: Institute Rafa.

a young man in his mid twenties, who was formerly allied with one of the Institute’s biggest enemies, asked to join because he is both a formidable soldier and a gifted physician. before being kicked out, I imagine he was sent on missions - for Cade, Quinlan, Neriah. I think he went too far sometimes. did things he promised himself he wouldn’t do. it felt justified at the time - he saw much, did much, but also learned much. he was ruthless, maybe cruel sometimes, yes. but for once he felt like he’d done something useful. maybe he did - maybe while collecting samples for Neriah he discovered a new compound. a poison. an anesthetic? maybe he managed to make his sewing people up more efficient. whatever it is he discovered, it was costly. his methods weren’t even close to humane. he stopped just before the guilt was too strong to handle. and whatever he discovered would be useful for the Institute. maybe what he discovered would be benefitial when developing new synths?

so I want him in there, either joining voluntarily or being kidnapped, it doesn’t really matter. I want him conflicted - because the Institute is both something he’s always wanted and the biggest example of everything he stood against. he’s far from the wasteland, he has a mission, he has friends, weird people who understand him. and for once he’s questioning what it is he believes. why is the Institute so bad? the Brotherhood also tests creatures. the Brotherhood also kills people. he’ll be so confused everything will be a blur for a while. he’ll find something to put his mind to - he has a mission, he has goals, and for once life is not dull.

but I also want him out of the Institute eventually, and the man that leaves is very different from the one who entered. I want him to leave because he wanted to leave, because he stopped to think about all he’s seen and done and decided he can’t do this anymore. I want him hoping for a new life under the sun. I want him to feel like his knowledge means nothing if he can’t put it to good use. I want him to feel like he got his wishes - he isolated himself from the dirty and the ugly in his pristine quarters -, and now he feels empty. I want him to feel like he’s taken so much from the Commonwealth and its people without ever giving anything back.

he leaves the Institute then, but not before destroying his work, maybe poisoning the water supply, stealing a shitton of data. something to give him an edge, whatever it is. something to help him feel like he at least weakened the Commonwealth boogeyman. something to make him feel like he was a victim, and not complacent, because he can’t handle that guilt.

what happens then I’m not sure. maybe he’ll start living as a scavenger to get by. maybe he’ll open shop somewhere shady, or even better: maybe he becomes a mysterious doctor who’s never in the same place twice and treats people for free. he leaves the Commonwealth eventually, to try and help people wherever he can reach.

something tells me he’ll make his way to California at some point, and he’ll meet an equally somber young man who’s obsessed with death but has a good heart. for once he’ll have someone who admires him, even though that person is extremely sassy and can’t seem to admit it.

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★ personal habits for Kieran, ★ fears for Rafa, ★ intelligence for Sal, and ★ religion/spirituality for Evan?

For every “★” I get, I will post a fact about my characters.

Kieran has a rather boring, almost sacred morning routine. He needs silence in the morning, and only wakes up for real half an hour or so after getting up. He’s very much a morning person, but only after he’s washed his face, fixed his hair and made sure his beard looks good. Food comes right after, and he’s that sort of person who believes breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of the day.

Rafael would never admit this to anyone, but he is terrified of centaurs. He’s seen more of them than he’d like during his childhood and has likely been able to observe them (and mutants) going about their day. Which I imagine would be horrendous to say the least. Mutants he can deal with, but seeing a centaur will have him shaking in his boots.

Sal thinks in pictures, and is a very visual person. He’s prone to seeing the big picture but memorizing the details, and that extends to how he sees people. He’ll always memorize something special about the people he meets, but unlike Kieran, who likes to store away quirks and stories, Sal keeps physical things, and depending on how much he likes the person, colors. I half-joked that being so in love with Debra made him “think in colors”, but it’s actually true and makes sense for him. He’ll sort of paint a picture in his mind about people. In practice I think it makes some things rather sentimental for him - seeing a dress in Debra’s colors, for example, or flowers he knows she’d like.

Evangeline doesn’t put a lot of faith in religion, no pun intended, but a part of her keeps hoping something will prove her wrong one day. Not because she wants guidance from a higher power, or wants to be rewarded for her good deeds. It’s really because it’d give her peace, knowing in spite of all the shit that happens in her life, she’s not alone.

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*star symbol*

For every “★” I get, I will post a fact about my characters.

Rafa has a strange relationship with Quinlan’s cat, Emmett. Sometimes he felt like the cat was watching him. And judging him. When ignoring the creature didn’t seem to work, he decided to take a different approach and try to befriend it. Emmett didn’t like him much, though Rafael discovered he does have a fondness for cats and their apparent hubris.

They seem to have reached a gentleman’s agreement: Emmett doesn’t bother Rafa while he’s working, doesn’t sit on any piles of papers, nor hides Rafael’s glasses when he takes them off. In return, Rafa doesn’t leave the office before giving Emmett a good scratch behind his ears and, depending on his mood, a belly rub. Bites on his hand means it is enough for the day, and only then Rafa is free to go.

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★ for Rafa and ★ for Sal and ★ for Bran

For every “★” I get, I will post a fact about my characters.

Rafa tried writing poetry, but decided he wasn't good at it. Everything he wrote was dark and heavy and made him feel way too exposed, so he destroyed all pieces. There were a few he wished to keep because they felt special, but he didn't want to risk anyone finding them. He memorized and then destroyed them.

Sal never wanted to pursue a career in music, but he's a good musician. Plays the piano, guitar and a bit of harp. Companion!Sal knows how to play the guitar and always carries a harmonica with him. Lone wanderer aesthetic and all that.

Bran can't sleep without having socks on. It's one of the most important items for him and he carries at least one pair in his bag at all times. At home he can sleep without them on, but if he's out and about in the wasteland, socks are a must.