Where Hope Finds Us

If you don’t have hope, what’s the point of living?

[where-hope-finds-us]

Taglist:

world building: in a world of despair

canon: who we really are

AU: who we wish to be

plot: the things that happen

writing (scenes, scenarios, writing prompts, etc): a wall of text for hope

in character posts/ RP posts: this is us

Sylas: sylas

Owen: owen

Cael: cael

Elliot: elliot

Jude: jude

Lexie: lexie

María: maría

Ronja: ronja

incorrect quotes generator: I never said that

important updates: newspaper! Newspaper! 5ct a piece!

art: capturing a moment

asks: 📫

[crimeronan]

she WOULD fucking say that, back in an earlier draft. however her characterization has since been adjusted to better serve the themes and goals of the story, so. now she would not fucking say that.

but it's understandable that you thought she would!

[ruvviks]

OC ASK GAME

Where was your OC born, and where did they grow up?

How does your OC remember their childhood? Is this an accurate reflection of what their childhood was actually like?

If your OC could revisit their childhood, what would they want to change about it, if anything at all?

Describe three of the most important photographs your OC owns.

What is your OC's gender identity and sexual orientation? Is this also what they identify as in canon, or are they not (fully) aware?

How comfortable is your OC in their skin? Do they like who they are? What would they want to change about themself?

What is your OC's occupation?

What does your OC's family look like?

Describe a mundane day in your OC's life.

Does your OC have any physical scars? What is the story behind them?

What does your OC carry around in their pockets? What about their bag?

What is the worst thing that has happened to your OC? How has it affected their behavior, their health, and their life in general?

What is something your OC does (to others) that they would not like if others did to them? Are they aware that they do this?

Does your OC hold grudges? How good are they at letting things go? Do they believe in second chances?

What is your OC's fatal flaw?

Is there anyone your OC has lost contact with? What happened?

What are some of your OC's coping mechanisms during stressful or overwhelming periods in their life?

What are your OC's bad habits?

How does your OC handle preparing for and initiating a difficult conversation? How does the conversation itself go?

How quick is your OC to shift blame? Do they own up to their mistakes, or are they prone to start pointing fingers at others?

How does your OC handle criticism?

How good is your OC at apologizing, if they do this at all?

What is your OC like when they're angry?

What is your OC like when they're upset?

What is your OC's deepest desire? Would they ever ask for this?

How quickly does your OC reach their breaking point? What are they like when this point has been reached?

What are some assumptions others make about your OC? Are any of them true?

What does your OC think others are saying about them behind their back? Is any of this true?

What are three traits your OC has that can both have positive as well as negative qualities?

How paranoid is your OC? How does this affect their daily life?

Are there any places or people your OC is avoiding?

How does your OC handle rejection?

How does your OC handle jealousy?

What would be some of the signs your OC is starting to push people away?

If your OC had to kill someone, how would they do it? If killing is a near-daily occurrence to them, what is their preferred method?

Does your OC believe they deserve it when bad things happen to them?

What is the most common feeling or emotion in your OC's life?

What is the most recurring theme in your OC's nightmares?

What is your OC's pain tolerance like? What is the worst pain they have ever felt?

What is your OC afraid of?

Has your OC ever hurt someone, either physically or verbally?

How easily influenced by others is your OC?

What are common things your OC worries about?

Do others consider your OC to be scary or intimidating?

Does your OC keep their promises? Have they ever broken one before?

Does your OC carry any guilt with them?

If your OC had to pick a new identity and skip town, what would they come up with? Where would they go?

What would your OC do if they knew that this was their last day alive?

Does your OC fear death?

How does your OC die, eventually?

[where-hope-finds-us]

Timeline: Sylas just very recently met Owen and Cael. They haven’t met the rest of the group yet. Sylas owes Owen his life and originally just wants to make up for it by helping them out a bit before leaving them again.

“Okay, Cael. Ready?”

Owen scanned his little cousin from head to toe and nodded approvingly. A thick jacket and long pants protected his skin from any accidental scratches, a big smile protected the boy from ever looking sad and he nodded.

“Ready!” he grinned, emphasising his words by almost lovingly tapping the wide end of his bat against the concrete. The handle had been modified to have a blade tightly screwed to it. Owen was still proud of Cael for having had the idea to make his trusty bat a double wielding weapon. Clever little fox.

Owen’s weapon, his beloved 1911, which had saved his and Cael’s asses more than once, laid heavy in his holster as he turned to Sylas.

He’d fished this quiet guy out of a horde of infected a few days ago, somehow without a single scratch, and now he stuck around.

“Where’s your weapon?” Owen questioned after a critical once-over. No bat, no gun, nothing. Sylas lifted his hand. Brass knuckles on his bare fist. Owen looked up from the fist to their owner. Surely he was joking.

“You’re kidding.”

“I promise I’m not,” his voice sounded just as determined as he looked, his fist clenched around the metal.

“You wanna die, or what?”

Silence. But then: “I don’t do guns.”

“You-“ Next to him Cael looked a bit uneasy. Or rather judgemental? Probably both.

“That’s dumb,” the young boy said with a sneer. He’d never had much sympathy for people he deemed stupid.

“Everyone knows you can get infected just by being scratched. Why would you risk it,” the blonde prods, his eyes narrow as if trying to look through Sylas to find his reasoning.

“And everyone knows guns can misfire, so why risk it,” the brunette shot back with a glare.

“Even so, it’ll kill something,” Cael insisted, stepping up to Sylas, who surprisingly wasn’t much taller than him.

“An ally?”

“Only if you point it at them.”

Owen knew this was pointless. They were burning daylight and staying here too long would only attract the infected quicker.

“Stand guard,” he said strictly as he put a hand on his cousin’s shoulder to pull him away from Sylas.

“What?”

“Stand guard. No weapon, no fighting. Simple as that.”

“But-“ Sylas raised his brass knuckles in demonstration.

“Not a weapon,” Owen insisted, cutting him off and pushing his fist back down.

If looks could kill, Owen would’ve been six feet under just now, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was getting inside the store they’d been wasting time in front of, getting past the infected inside and salvage anything that could be remotely useful to them.

“Climb up that tree there. Stay there,” he pointed at an old and visibly dying tree a few feet from the store front. “If you see infected, don’t engage, got it?”

He waited to see Sylas nod, even though he was clearly reluctant.

“If it’s people-“ he glanced at Cael, hesitated and tried again. “If it’s people, make sure they won’t bother us, yeah?”

It was stupid. Cael knew what it meant to kill, he knew it was necessary sometimes. He wasn’t the kid he used to be anymore, but Owen sometimes still saw him as a snotty-nosed five year old running after him in the woods. Now, the boy who used to be so adorable was grinning from ear to ear, throughly enjoying the feeling of watching someone else be scolded by Owen for once.

“Quit grinning. I need you to be careful and concentrated if you wanna come with. If you’re not I swear this is the last time I take you anywhere,” Owen said to the, now rather grim looking, 14 year old. Yeah, better to not let him get too full of himself, that sly fox.

“You’re no fun,” the boy grumbled under his breath, but Owen heard him clearly. No use in reprimanding him now. Owen would rather be the “no fun”-cousin than no cousin at all.

“C’mon, you dumb fox, let’s go,” he simply sighed as he began walking towards the store. He let Cael in first and turned around just one last time to lock eyes with Sylas, who was leaning against the tree he’d been told to climb into.

“Stay put. See you later,” he said, before slipping into the dimmed building.

[where-hope-finds-us]

I need someone to read this oh my godddddd I spent too long on this for it to be ignored 😭😭

[where-hope-finds-us]

Sylas: Does immaturely insulting me make you feel better about your sad single life?

Elliott: It actually does.

[where-hope-finds-us]

Owen: You are, of course, wondering why it is I have brought you here tonight.

Cael: Actually, Owen, after all these years, I just sort of go with it.

(Creators note: I’m bored so there’s a few more to come…)

[where-hope-finds-us]

Lexie: Elliott, keep an eye on Sylas today. They're going to say something to the wrong person and get punched.

Elliott: Sure, I'd love to see Sylas getting punched.

Ronja: Try again.

Elliott, sighing: I will try to stop Sylas from getting punched.

——————

Jude: Truth or dare?

Elliott: Truth.

Jude: How many hours have you slept this week?

Elliott:

Elliott: Dare.

Jude: Go to sleep.

Elliott: I don't like this game.

——————

Jude, cowering in fear: What do you want from me?!

Sylas, standing in front of Jude: *bites into the whole KitKat bar like a heathen*

Jude, crying: Please...stop...

——————

Lexie: *Plays Slender: The Eight Pages*

*Jumpscare*

Lexie: *Jumps back* OH SHIT, IT'S A WHITE GUY!!!

——————

María: I've never encountered a problem that can't be solved by a spontaneous musical number.

——————

Hunter (guy from her old group): Punch me in the face.

María: ...Punch you?

Hunter: Yes, punch me, didn’t you hear me?

María: I always hear ‘punch me in the face’ while you’re speaking but it’s usually just subtext.

Okay, I’m done now. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[where-hope-finds-us]

Sylas: Does immaturely insulting me make you feel better about your sad single life?

Elliott: It actually does.

[where-hope-finds-us]

Owen: You are, of course, wondering why it is I have brought you here tonight.

Cael: Actually, Owen, after all these years, I just sort of go with it.

(Creators note: I’m bored so there’s a few more to come…)

[where-hope-finds-us]

Sylas: Does immaturely insulting me make you feel better about your sad single life?

Elliott: It actually does.

[where-hope-finds-us]

Timeline: Sylas just very recently met Owen and Cael. They haven’t met the rest of the group yet. Sylas owes Owen his life and originally just wants to make up for it by helping them out a bit before leaving them again.

“Okay, Cael. Ready?”

Owen scanned his little cousin from head to toe and nodded approvingly. A thick jacket and long pants protected his skin from any accidental scratches, a big smile protected the boy from ever looking sad and he nodded.

“Ready!” he grinned, emphasising his words by almost lovingly tapping the wide end of his bat against the concrete. The handle had been modified to have a blade tightly screwed to it. Owen was still proud of Cael for having had the idea to make his trusty bat a double wielding weapon. Clever little fox.

Owen’s weapon, his beloved 1911, which had saved his and Cael’s asses more than once, laid heavy in his holster as he turned to Sylas.

He’d fished this quiet guy out of a horde of infected a few days ago, somehow without a single scratch, and now he stuck around.

“Where’s your weapon?” Owen questioned after a critical once-over. No bat, no gun, nothing. Sylas lifted his hand. Brass knuckles on his bare fist. Owen looked up from the fist to their owner. Surely he was joking.

“You’re kidding.”

“I promise I’m not,” his voice sounded just as determined as he looked, his fist clenched around the metal.

“You wanna die, or what?”

Silence. But then: “I don’t do guns.”

“You-“ Next to him Cael looked a bit uneasy. Or rather judgemental? Probably both.

“That’s dumb,” the young boy said with a sneer. He’d never had much sympathy for people he deemed stupid.

“Everyone knows you can get infected just by being scratched. Why would you risk it,” the blonde prods, his eyes narrow as if trying to look through Sylas to find his reasoning.

“And everyone knows guns can misfire, so why risk it,” the brunette shot back with a glare.

“Even so, it’ll kill something,” Cael insisted, stepping up to Sylas, who surprisingly wasn’t much taller than him.

“An ally?”

“Only if you point it at them.”

Owen knew this was pointless. They were burning daylight and staying here too long would only attract the infected quicker.

“Stand guard,” he said strictly as he put a hand on his cousin’s shoulder to pull him away from Sylas.

“What?”

“Stand guard. No weapon, no fighting. Simple as that.”

“But-“ Sylas raised his brass knuckles in demonstration.

“Not a weapon,” Owen insisted, cutting him off and pushing his fist back down.

If looks could kill, Owen would’ve been six feet under just now, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was getting inside the store they’d been wasting time in front of, getting past the infected inside and salvage anything that could be remotely useful to them.

“Climb up that tree there. Stay there,” he pointed at an old and visibly dying tree a few feet from the store front. “If you see infected, don’t engage, got it?”

He waited to see Sylas nod, even though he was clearly reluctant.

“If it’s people-“ he glanced at Cael, hesitated and tried again. “If it’s people, make sure they won’t bother us, yeah?”

It was stupid. Cael knew what it meant to kill, he knew it was necessary sometimes. He wasn’t the kid he used to be anymore, but Owen sometimes still saw him as a snotty-nosed five year old running after him in the woods. Now, the boy who used to be so adorable was grinning from ear to ear, throughly enjoying the feeling of watching someone else be scolded by Owen for once.

“Quit grinning. I need you to be careful and concentrated if you wanna come with. If you’re not I swear this is the last time I take you anywhere,” Owen said to the, now rather grim looking, 14 year old. Yeah, better to not let him get too full of himself, that sly fox.

“You’re no fun,” the boy grumbled under his breath, but Owen heard him clearly. No use in reprimanding him now. Owen would rather be the “no fun”-cousin than no cousin at all.

“C’mon, you dumb fox, let’s go,” he simply sighed as he began walking towards the store. He let Cael in first and turned around just one last time to lock eyes with Sylas, who was leaning against the tree he’d been told to climb into.

“Stay put. See you later,” he said, before slipping into the dimmed building.

[where-hope-finds-us]

Sorry to drop in so suddenly/lh and this might be off topic entirely (mb) but i do wonder how these guys would fair against more cryptid monsters? Not full on magic that could deflect bullets persay but definitely not of the mortal world- real curious about this one haha

(P.S Damn these kids need a capable adult, they can't be having all these traumas by themselves/lh 😭)

Ok I actually needed to think about that and also I had absolutely no internet yesterday, so I had time 😅

So first of all I’m imagining monsters who are out to kill, not out to infect (like the zombies in our case are) so encountering them can (and will) definitely end fatally but an injury doesn’t necessarily mean death/ infection.

I think, overall they’d be very wary. They would still do anything to avoid a fight or possibly even just an encounter.

Elliott, however, would be FACSCINATED of course and would try to get close to them and he’d drag Cael with them.

Owen would die of a heart attack regularly (he already does in canon so nothing new).

I feel like the cult from which Lexie escaped would’ve gone more bonkers than they already did. In canon they see the zombies as some sort of godly omen which they worshipped and occasionally got infected willingly to be “closer to god”, but if suddenly non-human creatures come to be, I think they’d just start sacrificing children or something… /silly /hsrs

IF they actually came to kill one, they’d definitely feel less remorse than they do in canon, because the zombies did used to be humans whereas cryptid creatures most likely never were. But if those monsters have superhuman abilities they would definitely still struggle and rather try to avoid a fight than to engage in one.

Yeah, and that’s basically all I could think of.

(PS.: there’s reasons there’s no adult in that group, and they’ll be revealed throughout me posting lore and stuff :3)

[where-hope-finds-us]

YES YES YES as soon as I read ‘constantly at eachothers throats’ I thought wouldnt it be so funny if Elliot actually just had a massive crush on sylas and wary-of-everyone sylas just didnt pick up on that

I’m officially a genius /silly

Hmmm… maybe or maybe not 🤔 /silly

Tbh I personally read Elliot and Sylas more like older sibling / annoying younger sibling but OCs do have the nasty habit to develop in ways the creator didn’t consent to 🥹

Could you imagine tho? Sylas, who already struggles to accept that Owen likes him and that he MIGHT like him back finds out SOMEONE ELSE likes him?! He’d die on the spot /silly /ooc

He’d definitely suspect some ulterior motive. Clearly no one would be interested in him without something to gain from that.

[where-hope-finds-us]

it’s explicitly mentioned that the infected track by scent. Do they have bad/no sight and hearing or is scent so over poweringly strong that it automatically makes it the easiest way to track?

Scent is definitely their strongest sense, but they do definitely also chase with sight and hearing and not ONLY on scent. But when tracking down a new host they rely first and foremost on scent.

[where-hope-finds-us]

Image made by me

Survival Guide

Move in groups:

Defense against hordes is easier in groups. Never move alone. The infected will get you.

Keep your distance:

A scratch is enough to get infected. Be safe. Keep your distance. You will lose hand-to-hand combat with an infected. Even if you manage to kill them.

Aim for the head:

The parasite lives in the brain. The host is already dead, kill the parasite. Burn the body afterwards, just to be sure.

Be wary of still bodies:

In the first stages on infection, the infected will be comatose interrupted by sudden and occasional bursts of violence and most importantly still infectious. Don’t push your luck. Stay away.

Keep moving:

Infected track scent. They will find you either way. But if you move, you’ll make it harder for them.

[where-hope-finds-us]

OC Introductions

Sylas Hopkins:

17 years old trans man, his pronouns are he/him. He’s the Caucasian type and was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee before the outbreak. After losing his sister to a stray bullet shot by a member of his old group, he isolated himself and since had issues to open up to new people. However for his survival he ended up joining a new group and is slowly relearning to trust others and rely on them.

Best friend (possibly more): Owen Woods

Constantly at each other’s throats: Elliot Fisher

Lexie Steward:

A cult survivor and estranged from her parents who decided to stay in that cult, 18 years old Lexie decided to become the person younger her needed. While she might come off as cold or “bitchy” at first, she cares deeply about her group and gives them patience or a firm talking to whenever it is needed. She’s natively half Cuban, half Afro-American and her pronouns are she/her.

Sees as equal/ possibly best friend: Owen Woods

Owen Woods:

Being a Boy Scout and a hunter’s son since the day he could think surely has its perks in an apocalypse. Owen is 18 years old and Irish. Ever since the outbreak his first priority was always his cousin Cael’s survival but as their group grows, so does his sense of responsibility. Being the unofficial- official leader of the group weighs heavy on his shoulders, but it’s a burden he willingly carries while trying to make the best decisions for everyone.

Crushing on: Sylas Hopkins

Would kill (and die) for: Cael Everett

Cael Everett:

He’s basically the baby of the group. He’s barely 14 but that doesn’t mean he should be underestimated. Ever since he could walk he tagged along on adventures and hunting trips with his cousin and uncle and is more than able to fend for himself if needed. That, however, doesn’t stop the group’s compulsion to treat him “like a child” and try to protect him from any threat as they all have some parental sense of duty towards him. This makes Cael want to “prove himself” which also oftentimes leads to him actually needing to be saved.

Best friends: Elliot Fisher and Ronja Sjö

Cousin (kinda cool but also a bit annoying to him): Owen Woods

Elliot Fisher:

Chaos personified, this 16 year old bundle of energy has lead to more dangerous situations than Cael. They’re reckless and careless, always looking for a new thrill or a new adventure, but fully devoid of ill intent. The only person they’ve ever calmed down or slowed down for is their childhood friend, Jude as he sometimes needs them to interpret stuff for him.

Childhood best friend: Jude Harper

Likes to annoy: Sylas Hopkins

Likes to hangout with/ partner in “crime”: Cael Everett

Jude Harper:

Jude is half English, half Afro-American, born to a single mother as his dad went MIA in military service shortly before Jude was born. He is 16 years old and deaf. Since childhood he’s been fascinated by medicine and doctors, he spent years reading books about every sickness and every procedure there is. While he’s more than able to fight and protect himself, his chosen place is at the sidelines where he patches up his friends with book knowledge mixed with practical knowledge he’s had to oftentimes acquire on the spot during moments of great stress.

Childhood friend: Elliot Fisher

Gets along best with: María Del Rio

María Del Rio:

After a fight broke out in her old group, María got blinded on one eye. It disoriented her greatly and impacted her ability to survive alone greatly. She’s 17 and had always hated to have to rely on others, but her new reality forced her to do exactly that. As she and Ronja joined the new group she willingly but regrettably retreated to the sidelines with Jude as she thinks herself to be more of a burden than an ally on the battlefield.

Best friend: Jude Harper

Known longest: Ronja Sjö

Ronja Sjö:

At 14 Ronja came to America for a student exchange. Now at 17 she’s stuck here in the middle of an apocalypse. She doesn’t know how things are back at home in Sweden, but she’d give everything to hear from her parents just once. María was a student at the school she’d gone to, and they stuck together since the outbreak, slowly becoming friends (and on Ronja’s end even best friends). Ronja is a gentle soul who believes everyone deserves trust and compassion until proven otherwise, so she really needs a levelheaded María to keep her out of trouble.

Best friend: María Del Rio and Cael Everett