#donoramble

(Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Spoilers! Posting)

The more I think about it, the more I feel like

OK. So Faux wasn't thinking straight. Killing someone just because they said they gonna breakup with you? Insane person behavior.

But I'm serious when I say NOTHING DJ Cyber does also makes sense 💀💀BRO. MY GUY. You saw your good buddy fall from the ceiling decapitated, broken mask lying on his pool of blood. What's the first few things he does?

-Pick up the bloody mask and declare murderous revenge on Faux (Faux! The other guy you hang out with for maybe a year or so! Somehow you immediately think he's the killer! What if he's a victim too, what if they got robbed and gunpoint or something?)

-This means letting yourself get arrested by the police and then destroy the station just to find Faux (to slaughter)

- Give the decapitated head to the young teenager next to you and tell him "Keep the head fresh" without any further instructions

Like, buddy I do not think the man has a plan aside from "Felix can't die I won't allow it I cannot let Felix go I'm so angry who did this to you Felix Felix you cannot leave me like this Felix"

I do not think he knows that Flesh Prince stitched Faux's body on Felix's head out of panic.

I do not think he even knows where did Felix's head went. (Flesh Prince probably just told him that some guy in a gang took him back)

I deadass do not think he expected Flesh Prince to rebel and declare that Bomb Rush Crew's win over the Franks is illegitimate as well, I deadass think him realising that "Red" is Felix right at that moment, and that "Faux" who is Tryce's friend is Faux's body stitched on Felix's head is pure dumb luck.

And sure, the whole "Let's railroad Red/Felix into remembering everything to defeat Project Algo, only Red/Felix can defeat Project Algo" is his idea BUT WHY IS THAT SO HMM why is Faux in Project Algo in the first place, I do wonder DJ Cyber! 🤨

Like,... I'm sorry man sure he talks cool he sounds cool he also looks cool but EVERYTHING about what this guy does is anything but logical, he literally operates on quick wit and pure dumb luck,,

At least even Faux has a method to take out all the writers in New Amsterdam, out of pure anger.

I'm sorry Faux, you're punching above your weight. 😔

5. The big calamity that hit Amsterdam, be it flood or earthquake or nuclear meltdown or war or all of the above, it happened around 20~ years ago.

6. Faux was probably born very close before or even on D-Day (Romancing SaGa3 ahh plot point). Tryce and Bel all feel around that age as well, maybe a little older or younger.

Also gonna agree with @charisu's amazing headcannon that Tryce' s probably the judge's kid, or comes from a family like that. Bel gives off rich girl too, hell, they feel like rich kids childhood friend-playmates. But Tryce's family definitely try to make him grow up a little more tough, more responsible. BRC is like, them fucking around before getting that employment grind..

7. The big calamity hit Tryce and Bel's families, but they're okay and are wealthy enough to patch up the damage.

The Vogelaars, however, aren't too lucky. Mrs.Vogelaar probably knew she couldn't make it and handed her precious lemon-head baby to her husband while they're running out of a crumbling hospital together. Then a slab of concrete probably fell on her while they were running.

(Sorry for your loss, Lieutenant Vogelaar. 🙏Surely a strict but struggling single father from a military/police background and is always absent from home because of work wouldn't cause any unhealthy, attention-craving behaviour in his lonely, friendless, rebellious twink gay son--whoa! Who said that!)

8. The big calamity would have killed Felix's parents and grandparents, making him an orphan. They're all part of some cult, and Felix is the chosen success of for their next...thing, whatever/whoever it is. Have to wear that 6-eye mask at all times too.

The big calamity is something they 'divinated' and the sarcophagus is specially made for Felix. However, when it hit, his mother had a change of heart and told him to climb in that large sarcophagus. Nevermind the rest of them, as long as her precious son lives.

Felix doesn't feel fast enough to catch on what's going on anyways, so he climbs into the coffin and outlives everyone in the house. Climbing out of the coffin would feel like a brand new world to him. But ultimately he's alone.

9. Vinyl and DJ Cyber (they're siblings to me) doesn't feel like they're originally from The Netherlands, they probably came to Amsterdam with their parents for work-related business. Both of their parents aren't in town when the calamity struck, so they're OK.

But as for them, it struck when they're at home in an apartment, so they got crushed by the rubble. Vinyl came out okay, bloodied with injuries but she can still move and crawl out of the rubble. But she'll definitely hear her baby brother crying for help at the other side of the concrete and find him crushed. Body is alright, can move but both his arms are gone. No way of pulling him out of the rubble without amputation.

(Originally I thought that the hole of rubble where he's stuck in is only small enough to fit two children, so the only way to quickly rescue Cyber is to give the bonesaw to his older sister and...well, maybe it was too hardcore. But it's either Vinyl saws her own brother's arms off in a tiny hole, or a rescue worker does it)

Either ways their parents would madly rush back to a ruined Amsterdam, rushing into the hospital only to be greeted with the sight of their crying daughter and a very emotionless, armless little boy. From that day onwards they became too paranoid to leave or let them leave New Amsterdam on their own, unless they're there to always see their children.

Vinyl definitely feels like she'll rebel but Cyber quietly takes to it. Him leaving his highly-paid neuroscientist job and ignoring parental pressure to find a wife to become part-time writer, part-time DJ, full-time hanging out with Felix is probably the most exciting, rebellious thing he did. MAYBE second most exciting, next to killing Faux. 🥰

10. Cyber may have left his profession but I feel like it isn't because he hates neuroscience, hell, he probably loves it just as much as being a DJ. But he probably hates the whole "got to get this hypothesis funded, have to test for others" and rather do it himself.

But because of that, he ended up in a peculiar position of receiving under-the-table funds from his old connections to carry out research that would otherwise be rejected by the research institution. But that's fine to him, that's the stuff he's into anyways. That slightly dubious, "wait how about the patient's consent?" shit. Everything in the name of science.

He's DEFINITELY the "successful younger son" of the family, Vinyl had too many years of living in that shadow and being that older sister figure to stick around, so she left.

Community college, got some hands-on job like being a mechanic, rented a shithole with pizza-delivery-boy-college boyfriend Felix. They both met from an art course, and then they broke up after college 😔. Not her fault, the man's living like he's not there. (I really think he still loves her and keeps on going like this for like...5 more pathetic years. Just spending his 20s like a sad, big shaggy dog.)

2. Eight Ball and Berlage are dead. Eight Ball likely got killed by Escher and Berlage, by Faux. (Good job you two!)

3. Escher's knocked out cold in coma, but the Bomb Rush Crew don't know that so Vinyl, Tryce and Bel had a "bury the dead body in the woods" moment with him while Red/Felix was recovering from getting shot. Mainly Vinyl panicking if she killed a cop for real this time ("And I can't get you guys involved in that, Bomb Rush Crew don't need that heat right now with Project Algo going on!") and Tryce telling her that under any circumstances, unless there's too much evidence, ("Don't say it's an accident in court, then they really know you're guilty." "Huh? Why would you know that?")

4. No way Faux is dead NO WAY HH. Unless he's joining the "got my head bashed in once and now I'm in coma" squad like above. But he's likely not conscious. After the All City party, Felix likely tried to find him and his body. Felix's head is stuck rather deep into the machine though, and even Flesh Prince (if he'll work with Faux's head) would have trouble prying him out of that chassis. Likely even have wires embedded deep into his skull to control a whole machine like that.

Still completely floored by this concept that Escher would have woken up from getting knocked in the cyberhead, escaped and saved Rietveld from getting brain-blasted by a whole crew of brainwashed Project Algo cops (after discovering Berlage's corpse, high chance he saw Berlage got killed with his own cyber-eyes but was completely outgunned) (thank you secondarythings)

Like, I already have a concept that Project Algo was a constantly growing and updated "software" so Faux (as Project Algo) got increasingly stronger and a lot more aware of his capabilities

But in the beginning he was completely lost so he had to manual control all the cops assigned to him in the beginning

And during this period of time, manually controlling Escher (test subject no.1) while Escher's subconscious throw hands at him because they're both fighting control over 1 body--I think Faux would slowly come to realise that's his old (amnesiac) pops and has to face The Horrors™

It's a 4-part story that I initially had, with a very lengthy Chapter 3 Investigation Phase. Dig out the truth behind everything and why he was selected as Project Algo in the first place, why Escher has to be the first test subject.

Thing is, at the very last moment at the very last chapter, I think Escher would slowly realise the same as well (through watching Faux relive the same final repetitive dream he has of the last memory he could recall), but the both of them won't say that to one another, won't make such a vulnerable guess if either of them are family.

And then he gets clonked on the head, wakes up, escapes (solidifying his opinion that the BRC are just harmless punks if they can't even tie an old cop down), returns to the precinct and watches his own son kill Chief Berlage from the other room

I don't think he'll let Irene go down like that, even if he's probably going to quit the force after all they did with him and the whole Project Algo thing. Sees her as the last good cop left (the last cop that was truly righteous and believed in doing what should be correctly done), and headcannon they had like, a mentor-student thing because they both 'joined' the force at the same time (a new cadet and a new cyberhead 'recruit') but cyberhead guy was mysteriously more skilled and calm about things

(another side-headcannon is that she's actually around the same age as Tryce, Bel and Teun as well. Came from one of those self-righteous cop families and bought into the whole 'protect the good citizens of New Amsterdam' schtick)

But definitely after the events of BRC I see him quitting the force for good, but NOT before one last action.

So! Focus back on Faux!

LDR honestly? He. Is. SCREWED. Big time.

Like, he has fucked up the whole damn New Amsterdam Police, killed, attempted murder, fucked up Mataan, property damage, buddy if there's any semblance of justice left in the city he is FUCKED

Not to mention New Amsterdam, although probably still the capital of The Netherlands, is not the whole Netherlands. You can bet your ass their new authoritarian government gonna send their high rankers on his ass to the goddamn Hague he is NOT a free man

Like, to even live at that point and have any semblance of peace is to rely on any last saving grace of kindness spared for him, and the only one I can only remotely think of is Felix because Tryce will slap him so hard his jaw will dislocate off his pretty face and Cyber will just chop his head off for yet another brain experiment

And even then if he's like, in the hospital, he's gonna be chained up bro, like if Rietveld isn't gonna slaughter his ass then the BRC gonna make sure he doesn't run anywhere and faces damn responsibility for his man-tantrum

And to Faux? Honestly? I don't think he even cares if he lives or dies. Hell, death would be good. He'll be wishing upon that electric chair, he won't bother to even feed himself if that's the case.

Maybe the exact reason why Rietveld won't trash his ass in the hospital, "there's no pure justice in this mess. Just the guilty and the damned."

Focus back on that old cop, and that's his last action.

Both Rietveld and Escher would have to locate where Felix's body was back when the BRC had their whole challenge in Upper Mataan, but she would be the one to deliver the body because, well, she has a massive jetpack--that's one. Another would be that the BRC sees that sniper like a dead man walking and it's on sight atp

But after all that mess, if he hears that the "huge monstrosity of wires" in Upper Mataan has been put into the local hospital, chained up waiting for judgement, he'll go over.

Show up to a despondent Faux and finally admit that he knew who he was, knew what he had done. Knew what was coming for him next.

Think, at that point, Faux would rather someone blow his brains out than to face the stomach-wrenching pain of...whatever slithering mess of complex anger and grief that is looking at him right now

And then he'll tell him straight, he'll repeat the exact same action as he did before his death, up until the both of them "died" for one last time--he'll let Teun go. Set his son free again.

Break the chains, make a mess, maybe start a small fire or sign a suicide note, Faux/Teun Vogelaar is dead to the world and his son walks out a free man once again. Rietveld would trust his word, she respects him after all.

And after that, he'll quit the force, the only thing he knew how to serve for all those years of his life. That's it.

After all the damage that they caused, that he caused on Teun, his "new life" should be rid of him. Of the both of them to one another, actually.

The moment the both of them leave the hospital room, they're both strangers.

There I think Faux would finally be free, but at that point he's neither Faux or Teun anymore, with no "roots" or obligations or anyone that would perceive or watch him. It's probably what he said he wanted, and it'll probably feel like the emptiest feeling ever. A total shadow.

Nothing, nobody. He'll have to hide in Lower Mataan with what funds given to him until the government stops looking for him.

I did saw a "Escher would be a P.I. post-BRC" take and I feel like that'll be like, the good-guy option you know, "The former cop has quit the force and now helps people like Nick Valentine from Fallout 4" that makes sense if he's a "I believe in justice" sort of thing (a very fun headcannon as well, come to think about it)

But was thinking about it and...hmm it doesn't feel so? 🤔 Like he's definitely "don't hurt the innocent" type of guy but that can be easily overwritten by a directive from a higher up to kill on sight.

Realistically as a human, he should have savings for retirement. Maybe. But I'd like to think that because he's treated as a cyberhead, he's essentially a new person with no previous ties or connections or account. There are probably cleaner ways for cyberheads to use the assets of the people that have passed before them, but I think in this case, he was forcefully made into a cyberhead (again, a conspiracy) with absolutely nothing so to obediently bind him to continued service.

Idealistically, he'll do something peaceful like open a bakery or work at an airsoft shop.

But at the same time I feel like he'll exhibit the same itchy behaviour from war vets or people who have served for a para-military organisation for their whole life (assuming that even before the police merger he was from the Royal Marechausse branch), that they cannot go back to quiet civilian life anymore.

There's no structure, no order, no need for discipline.

I think?? I THINK? Inclusive of that money issue, Escher will definitely first go for the idealist option and really cold turkey into the civilian life of stacking products in a supermarket.

And then his digital eyes will start twitching so badly he relapses and eventually becomes hitman for hire.

Might as well use that itchy trigger finger until arthritis sets in!

But! Will decide to sort of briefly write it here, it's about Dismas before the events of Darkest Dungeon 1.

15 years ago he rose up to become a bandit chief around the area, the Gutter Rats as the thieves call it. Thing is, that was Vvulf and his Wolves' turf too, and there was a gang war.

Funniest thing is that the D-man never carried about the power or influence but rogues flocked to him because he was just too damn good at robbing and killing.

Also in that 5 years of gang war (before a delicate balance of peace was achieved) Dismas kind of like, showed a bizarre talent for tactical strategy, it's the main reason how the Gutter Rats kept alive so long with the smaller size of influence they control

1. Bomb Crush Crew's hideout location, is the exact same hideout as the Big 3's hideout. Call it the All City crib 🤭! They left a lot of things there, down to the stinky red couch.

I imagine that Tryce and Bel (mostly Tryce struggling and shouting for help) moved some of the furniture around, and they definitely toppled a bunch of other furniture over. Maybe they brought things over from home as well, but the layout is mostly similar, and that played a HUGE part in getting Red/Felix's memories back.

But also because it's the same place and a bunch of things get left there, Faux's leftover skates were there as well and he was too upset by the whole breakup to return to the hideout and take it.