#foxtophat

Nick lets the situation lie like that for a minute or so. John is the first one to let go, his arms falling away from Nick's sides as he leans back and takes a deep, steady breath of air. Nick lets him go with a heavy pat on the shoulder, relieved to have the space if only because it means John isn't about to collapse again.

“Kim was right,” John admits, saying aloud the thought that's been repeating nonstop in Nick's mind. “I should have listened to her.”

Nick gets to his feet. “Yeah, probably. Thank God she isn't the type to say ‘I told you so,’ huh?”

John sits back, scrubbing at his face with the back of his sleeve. “I hope so,” he says.

“I think I know my wife pretty well by now,” Nick chuckles, holding his hand out for John. “C'mon, let's get home before she comes looking for us.”

Nick catches John muttering to himself as he approaches, but he doesn't hear the words, and John shuts up when he gets too close. He stands over John for a minute, but the move seems too aggressive when John looks up at him with saucer-wide eyes. Reluctantly, he crouches down, his knee popping in complaint.

“Well,” Nick says, when John just stares at him, “Looks like you're still in one piece.” [...] John takes a shaking breath. “She should have killed me,” he rasps. “Why didn't she kill me?”

“Honestly, I've got no idea. I guess she probably didn't want Carmina to think it was her fault or something. I mean, she might've decided Kim and I know what we're doing, but...” Well, considering that Nick isn't too sure what he's doing, he doubts that's the case. All Nick knows is that he's glad he doesn't have to clean John's brain matter out of the wood. “Well, either way, you're still here.”

“I am,” John agrees, soundly deeply unsure about it.

Nick hands John the flashlight before he gets out of reach, following him down the rungs as quickly as he can. They knock into each other as he reaches the bottom rung, and Nick turns to find John aiming the flashlight uselessly at their feet. Staring down the murky darkness that turns the bunker into a cave of unknown depths, John looks as though he might hear floodwaters in the distance.

It's only once Jerome is gone that John speaks, struggling to keep his voice from shaking. “It’s not really over,” he says, “It can’t be.” “Well, we’ll have to go through that a couple hundred more times,” Nick points out, “But... I mean, yeah. It’s over. Sorry I wouldn’t let them flog you or anything.” [...] Nick and John both remain in the same spots that they’d defended themselves from, until the last car rumbles out of the drive and Jerome reappears on the back porch. “What now?” John asks. “I dunno,” Nick replies. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Surprise! I commissioned the always-amazing @ziorre to draw one of my favorite scenes from one of my ultra-favorite fanfictions, Strange Things Like Mercy by @foxtophat!! It also doubles as a gift for foxtophat/bentsage, since I adore this fanfic more than I can possibly describe and it needed some fanart. If you like Far Cry 5 and John Seed (and Nick Rye!), please go check it out. It deserves so much more attention! 

FC OC questionnaire

I’m gonna do the ones I already did with Rat, with Lazarus! He’s my FCND Captain OC, but it should still apply.

12. What’s the region they feel most connected to?

Though the Whitetails are mostly gone in New Dawn, Lazarus would probably feel a connection to it if he could go there safely. He’s all about nature and animals, after all.

13. From the GFH/FGH which one they get along with the most?

Very similar ideas here: For Rat: Peaches & Boomer & Cheeseburger For Laz: Timber & Horatio

20. How do they feel about Jacob?

So if we’re assuming Rat and Lazarus live in the same universe, Rat would have spared Jacob and he’d be alive (albeit old as hell) in New Dawn. I feel like, hopefully, he would’ve mellowed out a bit by that point. Maybe he even lives in Prosperity... hey, I can hope. Nah, I’m sure he’s with his brother in New Eden, which Lazarus eventually encounters as the Captain.