#AND SCOUT LOOK SO ITTY BITTY

[magikkittenz]

SCOUTS MA HIGH REZ PORTRAIT YIPPEE

[junichan]

Recently I've been seeing a lot of Sun Wukong and reader / OC with baby monkeys stuff, and I am just living for it. ( @journey-to-the-au's #Fruit Troup and @semisolidmind's #Royal Children especially) Something about baby monkeys rattled around in my little brain long enough that I had to bang out this drabble. Its my first ever x reader story, and its just slightly nsfw so beware!

Cuddle Break

Synopsis: Your reaction to snuggling a baby monkey has quite an effect on Sun Wukong

Warning / Triggers: Slight NSFW - mention of an erection and implied adult situations

For several days now the group had been traveling through a dense jungle. You had stopped for a break on the side of the road to eat some lunch and rest your weary feet. Although it was a little humid, it felt pleasantly cool beneath the shade of the jungle canopy. You would have liked to take a quick nap, but Tang was anxious as ever to get moving again.

“YN, would you mind finding Wukong?” the monk asked. He smiled apologetically, as if he knew he was sending you into the lion’s den.

Almost since the day you’d joined the group, the demon monkey had begun teasing and flirting with you. You did your best to laugh off his advances, thinking he was probably just messing with you, but lately Wukong was getting so provocative that Tang was forced to use the headache spell a few times just to get him to give you some space. You were starting to consider that maybe Wukong really was into you, which wouldn’t have been a problem if you didn’t find him so damn attractive too!

As usual Wukong had gone off on his own to scout out the surroundings as soon as the group had settled down. Normally Pigsy would have been asked to go find the monkey, but he had eaten so much lunch that he’d zonked out hard enough that even Sandy was struggling to wake him up. There was nothing to be done about it, so you set off in the direction you had seen Wukong go earlier, hoping he hadn’t gone too far.

It wasn’t much trouble to find a little footpath that meandered through the jungle underbrush. You tracked it for a while, occasionally calling out the demon monkey’s name. Eventually you came to a wide, slow running creek, and trusting the intuition that had served you so well on the journey so far decided to follow it upstream. It wasn’t too long before you caught a familiar chirping, chattering sound. You had heard Wukong occasionally making those noises, but this time they sounded surprisingly soft.

“Wukong!” you called as you got closer, “Tang wants to get going…!”

It wasn’t long before you spotted him and understood why the noises were so unusually gentle.

Sun Wukong was perched on a thick branch hanging low over the creek, surrounded by a troop of infant monkeys. It was the little ones that were chirping and giggling as they climbed on him like a living jungle gym. He seemed to be enjoying it, indulging the little ones with the softest smile you had ever seen on his face. And the babies were so cute! Little fluffy beans with their little tails and itty-bitty noses!

“❤️Oooh my gooooosh!!❤️❤️” You gushed before you could stop yourself.

The Monkey King and his tiny subjects looked at you in surprise, only just noticing your presence. The babies looked a little nervous, but Wukong’s grin only got bigger as you approached. You were glad to see that the little ones trusted Wukong enough that they didn’t run away, even when you pulled yourself up on the branch to sit beside him.

“They’re so adorable, Wukong! Do… Do you think I could hold one?”  

Wukong had never seen you so enamored before, it was adorable! “Sure,” he chuckled, “Just be careful. They got a strong grip.” He lifted one of the little ones off his knee, making reassuring noises as he handed him over to your waiting arms.

The baby was clearly a bit frightened of you, staring at your face with wide, darting eyes. “It’s okay sweetie,” you cooed to reassure him, stroking his head and back. “Don’t be scared.” To your delight the infant started to purr, and snuggled against you as you cradled him against your chest. You were so besotted with affection for the little guy that you didn’t even notice the intense way Wukong was staring at you.

It wasn’t until he’d handed the child over that Wukong realized the little one had fur that was remarkably like the color of your hair. Watching you snuggle and coo at the infant made him think of you doing the same with his offspring. Just imagining you getting you pregnant with his heirs drove him wild. If it weren’t for the children still clinging to him, he would have pounced on you right there.

What was worse, he was a little jealous of the little one! What he wouldn’t give to have you hold him and stroke his fur like that! That look of sweet and tender adoration in your eyes should have been for him!

Oblivious to the immortal demon’s internal struggle (and the bulge in his pants) you continued to soothe the baby monkey in your arms. The little guy was practically melting as you pet his soft fur. Then two more of the little ones abandoned Wukong to crawl into your lap, eager for their turn at cuddles. You scooped them up happily, pressing kisses to their foreheads. “Aww! Mama’s sweet babies! ❤️”

Wukong grit his teeth to stifle a groan. The jolt of arousal that went through him was so violent his hand shot up and snapped the branch above him like a twig. The baby monkeys that were still sitting on him were startled enough to scatter further up the tree.

You gave him a puzzled look, holding the little ones in your lap a bit protectively. “Something wrong, Wukong?”

“I’m fine,” he answered, jumping down from the branch. He sounded a bit more terse than usual. Obviously he wasn’t fine, but he wasn’t going to tell you about it. “You said Master wanted to get going. We should head back now.”

You sighed, glancing down at the baby monkeys curled in your lap. They had been startled by Wukong crushing the branch but had hunkered down rather than run away. “Aw, can’t we stay just a little longer?”

"C'mon, YN, let's go." Wukong shook his head, shooing the little ones with a few soft hoots. They reluctantly crawled out of your lap, and you pouted as you let them go. Then he reached up, grabbing your waist to lift you down off the branch. You accepted the surprisingly chivalrous gesture, even putting your hands on his strong shoulders to steady yourself. But once your feet were on the ground, he didn’t let go.

You felt your face heat up with a blush as Wukong stepped into your space, his grip on your waist keeping you from escaping when his chest pressed flush against yours. You could feel his warm breath on your ear as he leaned in and growled suggestively, “You know, I could give you a few of your own if you wanted…”

“Wukong!!” The insufferable demon laughed as you pounded your fist on his chest in protest. But at least he let you step back, and you took a deep breath to try calming your racing heart. And racing hormones!

Against your better judgement, you let him carry you back to the others on his cloud. You tried to ignore his tail curled around your middle, somehow convincing yourself that it was only to keep you steady.

Wukong could tell under all that flustered embarrassment you were turned on. He could smell it on you, and it made him grin victoriously. It wouldn’t be long now before he’d finally have you. He might have even been able to convince you to let him have his way right there in the jungle, but he knew there wasn’t enough time to really enjoy himself. If the monk had sent you to look for him, it wouldn’t be long before he sent Pigsy or Sandy to look for you. He could wait a little longer. You were worth it flexing a little patience, and no matter what, in the end you’d be his.

And in the meantime, seeing you snuggle the baby monkeys gave him a sneaky idea for how to get some of that attention for himself…

[didgeriduwu]

Tf2 Headcanons 2 bc I have a million of these

[Please if you haven't already go and sign the petition to save this goofy ass game!]

Pyro isn't covered in burn marks. What do you think the fireproof suit is for?

Pyro has actually worn their suit since they were a literal baby, and their parents noticed them trying to crawl into the fireplace. They still have all of their past suits ranging from itty bitty baby pyro size all the way up to their current size.

Sniper's slouch hat belonged to his (adopted) dad, who wore it as part of his uniform in WW2. Even though he doesn't approve of his son's job, Snipes' dad still wanted him to have his lucky hat to keep him safe.

Scout is pro-womens rights. He's still sexist (its the 60s/70s) but his Ma was an early Second Wave feminist so he just grew up believing in women's lib by default.

Heavy's dad was one of those high-ranking soviet officers who pissed Stalin off so bad he had them old-timey photoshopped out of existence.

Miss Pauling is tatted the fuck up, but only where it's not visible while she's wearing her work attire. She's a professional, god damn it.

Christopher Lee was a spy during WW2 (Its 100% true look it up) and so was Spy, and they were friends.

Spy's (real?) name is Jean Dupont because that's the French equivalent of "John Doe" and I like the idea of there being two does on the team (no relation).

Other Headcanons!

Misc.: Part 1,

Themed: Sex, Woodstock

[cabinette]

Fortress Meshi..... I've left some ranting under the cut

LAIOS Well of course he's a demoknight what did you expect. talking sword, can see ghosts- ish ? messes around with a weird book that, well, didn't take his eye but DOES give him a lot of insight on monster cooking. would also just be funny if instead of his eye we just see his monster for every halloween

MARCILLE it was up in the air for me whether to make her a medic or a demo, but in the end she's the party's attack mage- her healing isn't as effective as falins but its good and quick! Also the 11 PHDs thing is funny when applied to her. medschool dropout....

CHILCHUCK He's a professional. he's a sharpshooter. he's got standards. He would totally live in a campervan and piss in jars. it's SO obvious it's like a fish in water just LOOK AT HIM

SENSHI honestly I don't really want to bind Senshi to the specifics of Pyro but it aligns for the most part, such as seeing most of the cast as itty bitty cherubs who must be taken care of- or the axe and the article of clothing that just seems to never come off. He's got a little soldier sprinkled in there but thats just mostly for the bread MISCELLANEOUS Falin is a medic and she got autobalanced and is currently being made to follow tfclassic (dungeon) orders white the rest of the crew have yet to get her! maybe hopped up on australium.... Izutsumi is a dysfunctional scout. Thistle is merasmus- given that he's a wizard yes but they also both have white men messing around in their houses, Thistle could also possibly be a rogue pauling but it's in the air atm until i settle my thoughts WL is admin or maybe a very fucked up version of her idk man. spaghetti at the wall

[nothing-scout]

Omg hi!! Would you consider maybe making a little story about Sniper being a good dad to a child reader? Like she’s just itty bitty and means the world to him? Thanks so much in advance for your consideration, I understand if that’s too much

Hello! I shall, sorry if this took long. Ain't the best with stories. Notes for story:

Female Child Reader (sorry to some readers!)

Reader is purple! Mercs (Sniper, Scout and Engineer) are Red!

Proud dad Sniper

Adopted! Child reader (cause I don't think Sniper got any babes, sorry bud)

Scooter can't write endings for shit.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Ankle Biter

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Story under the cut!

You were watched by Sniper, Engineer and Scout as you played with the big and cuddly Pyro, doing a tea party outside. You knew you were here for a while, but time flies at the base with your newfound family

"Ain't she a little charmer?" Engineer said, mostly here to watch incase Pyro decides to put something on fire.

"How'd you find her, anyways?," Scout asked Sniper. "Since we know you aren't getting any bitches" Engineer glared at Scout, really hoping he'll stop mentioning that.

"Funny thing actually; found her while I was drivin' my Van back to the base, ya know, since I did the shopping," Sniper started, just happy to tell someone about his little girl. "Poor ankle biter was alone and I just couldn't leave her in the snow by herself so I panicked and just- brought her back with me."

"... Eh, understandable. I woulda do the same thing." the Bostonian said before taking a sip of his super stupidly radioactive soda.

Before any of them could talk, you ran over with a drawing. "Papa! Lookit lookit!"

He gently took it from your hands, looking at each little detail of your drawing "this is your finest work yet! Nice job, bubs." you giggled happily, clapping your hands as you saw Pyro do before running back to them to continue playing.

"... It'll be sad when she grows up" "Engie, don't remind me"

"Yer a good dad though. She loves ya" " 'm glad I am.."

[crimeronan]

Steve being Luz’s most consistently trusted guard after Hunter and also the only one on the guard who Hunter actually likes is so sweet… I love the idea that Steve and Hunter went through scout training together, and Steve already had a little brother with an inferiority complex a mile wide, so he was always really good at looking out for Hunter in ways that don’t demean or make him feel lesser.

I can picture itty bitty Luz coming up to say goodbye to Hunter and the scouts as they go on a long training mission, and Luz goes up to Steve as the most polite and nice looking guy there and is like “Can you please make sure Hunter is okay for me 🥺”

And Steve does an imperial salute before getting down on one knee to look her in the eye and promise her that Hunter’s one tough cookie, and that he’ll be okay, but if things get dicey out there he promises to have his back. And so he’s just always been one of Luz’s favorite scouts ever since.

WAUGH.

i have a handful of unanswered questions from ages and ages ago about hunter and scout training, which were mainly unanswered because i couldn't decide if hunter had been through the full training he does in canon (on account of how luz would throw a fit).

but i think he could have, if luz was still young enough for belos to spin it as, "he'll be fine, he's off having adventures :)"

....and then belos's biggest problem is just luz sulking around kicking up a fuss about how she's BORED and SHE never gets to go on adventures and a few weeks is WAAAY too long to wait for him to get back :(((

god i Love the idea of her asking steve to protect him. that's so cute oh god. baby girl..... my bebita forever.....

[danxiex0]

I think sometimes people forget that Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince that he is, is still a loving father and at the end of the day he was the best at it because he had so much love to give to these itty bitty little gremlins and they loved him unconditionally so I my adhd brain came up with this stupid little tidbit(be well aware most of this is my personal headcannons and what I have seen from the series, I have not read the books)

My Son Too

After the events of blood and chease both the black and green factions called a ceasfire and it was impressed upon both sides by both sides that they needed to meet in a secure location on neutral ground.

Rhaynera Targeryan, daughter of Aemma Targaryen and Viserys Targaryen, had mounted her most loyal companion, Syrax, and flew to the island that was considered no mans land. It was too close to the Greens territory and the Blacks territorry for people to look at it and think, "I could probable live there."

Flanking the Queen was her heir, Jacaerys riding his dragon Vermax, and her Uncle-husband Daemon riding Caraxes.

Behind them flies two more riders, Moondancer with her rider Baela and her twin Rhaena and next to them fly's Meleys and ontop her poised and proud is Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen who never was.

All of them wore the signature black and red of their house. A united front would be presented.

Corlys had sailed out a few days earlier to scout the island and get ready for their negotiations. In reality he was preparing for an attack from the greens faction.

"I wouldn't put it past the cunts!" He had bellowed when he made his plans known to them all.

The island came insight and just as they saw it they heard the roar of another dragon.

Aegon, mounted ontop of Sunfyre flanked by Aemond riding Vhagar, Daeron riding Tsiserion and behind them was Helaena riding Dreamfyre. There was a ship that did not have the Valeryon banner hoisted but instead a white tower with a flame atop it.

Otto Hightower had decided to show his face.

The dragons landed and each rider on the Blacks side had to ensure that none of their dragons treid ripping apart the Green factions.

Syrax and Caraxes looked ready to pounce on Vhagar, the old war dragon who took Arax from them.

If either of them had pounced the other dragons would follow in an attempt to avenge the youngest hatchling and his rider. Dragons were much smarter than most gave them credit for.

Sunfyre and Dreamfyre looked uncomfortable with the whole exchange and Vhagar was ready to throw hands if need be.

Ser Criston Cole, accompanied by sir Otto Hightower and his men crowded the Usurping Cunt, the One-eyed Kinslayer, and Rhaenyra's younger sister.

Alicent had positioned herself next to her daughter and had the girls hand in a death vice.

Corlys and his men, far more then the Hightowers brought, stood on the little hills and crowded around the rightfull Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

They watched as a table was placed in the middle of the two parties with seven chairs on Rhaenyra's side and six chairs on the other.

"Let's discuss this like civil adults and try to come to terms that are agreable for both factions," Rhaenyra was the first to speak.

The air was still stiff but Helaena broke from her mothers grasp and moved forward to sit down.

Rhaenyra nodded at her, a silent apology if you will, but nothing could ever make the girl feel better, before her faction took their seats.

It took the Greens a few minutes to take their own before the discussions began.

"My father and yours has always upheld my claim to the Iron throne. Always stuck to his decision to make me Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. He declared me Heir when I was eight years old, and he had never changed his mind. Not when Aegon was born, not when I moved to Dragonstone and not even when he was dying so what is it that suddenly changed his mind? After years and years of never allowing someone to whisper to him that I as a woman should not be Queen suddenly the moment, he dies he declares Aegon King in the presence of the Queen and only the Queen," Rhaenyra started off.

Otto scowled at the girl.

"Your father," Alicent started off, "Told me that the prince that was promised was Aegon. In his last breath he told me that Aegon would be King," Alicent said.

"He only said the prince that was promised and not the next King so how can you be so sure? You took his words and twisted them to fit into your own narrative so that you and your cunt father could continue to stay in power," Daemon sneered.

Honestly the Rogue Prince could have said more and could have made his words harsher, but Rhaenyra had taken his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"We did what we thought Viserys wanted. How were we supposed to interpret his last words as anything other than who rules after him," Otto said.

"Then why keep the news from us? Why only inform us after you had crowned Aegon? After you blocked off all exit from Kings Landing to ensure that no word reached me. How can any of that be justified or seen as anything but you doing what you knew to be wrong. You knew what my father meant and yet you still went ahead and usurped my throne as if it were your right," Rhaenyra said sternly.

Alicent looked away and Otto, the old cunt that he was continued to let his face sour like he had just eaten an entire bag of lemons.

It went quiet after that. Corlys's men were used to these things. They were all sailors and out on the sea they were equal to each other. The only one above them was their Captain. Driftmark ran as good as it did because Corlys never hid his words from them. More than half of his sailors were allowed into his council room whenever they pleased. They had opinions and Corlys let it be heard.

These knights from Kings Landing were uncomfortable because at the end of the day they were told what to do and they did so. They were never allowed into council meetings and had never witnessed these things. Ser Criston Cole was the only one who was privy to such things, and everyone knew it was only because he was fucking the Queen, but he was tight lipped about everything that was going on in there.

"You would have killed them," Alicent whispered.

"Who?"

"Aegon, Heleana, Aemond and Daeron. You would have killed them had you sat on the throne," Alicent said.

Rhaenyra looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"They are my brothers and my only sister, what makes you think I would kill my own family?" She asked the auburn-haired woman.

"Because you already did," Aegon mumbled out.

"Speak up, boy. So that we can all hear you," Daemon said.

"I said that you already did or was my son not part of your family?" Aegon asked.

Rhaenyra saw this coming she really did but she refused to stop it.

"Your son was not meant to die. Your brother was but no one here seems to focus their ire at him," Daemon said.

"You still would have killed family. How does that make your argument any better?" Aegon seethed.

"Because I would not be killing him for our blood ties, I would be killing him for killing my son."

"What son of yours did he kill Daemon?" Otto asked with a raised brow.

"Lucerys Valeryon. My son," Daemon said.

"Lucerys was not-"

"He was my son!" Daemon bellowed as he jumped to his feet and just like his rider Caraxes did the same.

It went quiet as soon as the Wyvern did so. Everyone waited with bated breath for Daemon to burn them all with dragon fire.

"I read him stories of old Valeria! I sang him lullabies! I taught him how to better handle Arrax! I taught him High Valerian when his Measter couldn't! I taught him how to hunt and how to be a gentleman! I held him after nightmares and lulled him to sleep every time he would wake up crying in fear that some monster was going to take him! He was my son! My son who was taken from me because someone eyed cunt was not satisfied with riding the biggest dragon which he stole while my wife's corpse was barely sunk into the ground!" Daemon seethed.

Aegon stood up and got into Deamon's face.

"What of my son?! He was just a boy, and your men snuck in and killed him! In front of his mother too!"

"That is the only thing I will apologize for but only to Heleana! Because at the end of the day she was their mother and you their King! She took care of them, and she loved them! You looked at your son and saw the heir who would carry on your legacy! I wanted Aemonds head on a pike for what he did to my son, but he wasn't there and the mercenaries I sent decided to kill her boy! I will not accept the ire you give me only your sister wife's because at the end of the day you lost and heir and she a son!" Daemon seethed into the boy's face.

"All of this because Lucerys was killed?" Alicent asked.

"Always! My son was sent as a messenger and your son chased him through the sky on his war dragon and didn't expect to see her react to it! Eight years ago, your son claimed the biggest dragon to ever exist, stole from my daughters the last memory of their mother and proceeded to gloat about it! When his ego was not stroked a fight broke out, insults where hurled and your son had my eldest on the ground ready to bash his head in with a rock! Lycerys protected his brother and took his uncle's eye! The same one who said that he had a dragon which was worth the eye! Eight years later he goes back on that and proceeds to kill my son! He was ripped from us and if you ask me what happened was more mercy than anyone else would have given you!"

"How is killing my son mercy?!" Aegon asked.

"Because at least you had a body to burry!"

It was like time itself stopped. Everything went silent and a cloud of darkness hung above everyone's shoulders.

Some of the men from Kings Landing couldn't help but have their jaws drop and their eyes widen.

The sailors sunk their heads in agreement. Lucerys was the little Lordling who would get greensick just thinking about sailing, but he tried every time. He learned all their names and committed them to memory and heart. He learned how to do everything on the ship, from tightening knots to steering it. He was sweet and kind and was always up to hear their old wives tales.

They had all seen him grow and flourish and the Rogue Prince was right, he had been snatched away from them without any of them being able to say goodbye.

"How do you know he is dead then?" Otto dared to ask.

"Because the pieced of Arrax we found and the only remaining piece of cloth that was his shirt had been ripped and bloodied. We had to bury only his clothes because we could find nothing else in the weeks after we found it. You lost an heir, and Heleana lost a son. I feel for you but we, we lost our boy. Rhaenyra lost her son. I lost my son. Jacaerys, Joffrey, Aegon, Viserys, Rheana, and Baela lost their brother. Corlys and Rhaenys lost their grandson. These men who surround us, who stand with us, lost the little boy they watched grow up. All because you started a war that could have been prevented had you just talked to us. Had you just listened to Viserys and not the snakes at the Keep," Daemon said and for the first time Helaena looked at her uncle and she could see it.

She could see the pain and the hurt in his eyes. The same pain she felt every time she had to walk through the red keep without her little boy by her side.

[presidentbungus]

option 1: post-canon, spy visits a team reunion in boston over smissmas, reconnects with scout, maybe ends up forced to confront the feelings he's had for engineer since they parted ways. continu-sequel to more than you probably think which i wrote like a year and a half ago (holy shit)

option 2: halloween, demo gets his body stolen by merasmus for nefarious purposes (and his soul promptly shoved into the persian persuader, which fake demo vanishes with); scout and eyelander team up and move with the rest of the team to save him and go on a big fun halloween adventure or something cool and fun like that

option 3: sniper hates engineer for being so weird and passive-aggressive and hard to read, engineer hates sniper because sniper hates him, and then look at that there's some rich prick in a microcamera-studded minisentry-packed forest somewhere whos head needs a-shootin' and specifically the only two people who can get the job done are the 2 guys who hate each other. im sure your lifetime of fanfiction experience is informing you as to where this is going to go. funtime road trip, theres only one bed in the camper, putting pressure on bleeding wounds (sexily), all sorts of fun things like that

also BIG two, like long long, will probably try to finish other ones first so my ao3 page doesnt remain inactive for a full 2 years but including these for posterity:

option 4: space AU, sort of demo focused, sort of not. main 9 are having great, vaguely interconnected times doing crimes in various corners of the universe, oh no gray mann's giant wild west space casino has all the space australium in the big space vault, so what is there to do except a giant wild west space heist. yes, demoengieheavy (also potentially medic as a secret fourth thing) because i said so, and they hate each other and it's really dramatic i promise. demo is an octopus-man, engie is a wild west robot-man, sniper is a mermaid-man, you know the drill and the drill is awesome

option 5: the one where engie is a clone of radigan. it is extremely elaborate and i am just going to trust youve seen my posts on this one (or my deeply deranged ramblings about it on one of several discord servers (including my own which is pretty cool i am just saying)). complexes galore, demo/engie is there and it is VERY complicated, split between very unfortunate stories from engie's childhood, and a present-day plot following engie through his time in the gravel wars, where he slowly works through all the damage and maybe gets involved in some mann co patented Dark, Torrid Secrets© on his way. normal girlboss things

bonus points if you ask me questions or something about any of these i'll give you an itty bitty little bitty kiss on the forehead

[electrasev5nwrites]

Ninja Daily: Vapors 49

"It's weird not to have Hinata around," Karin groused. Aiko glanced at her cousin without pausing her push-ups. She made a noncommittal grunt in response. It was much less unusual for her—she spent a lot more time out of the village than Karin or Hinata did. Karin almost never left the village on missions except when posted with Hinata and Anko. Since Hinata was still training to be a tracker with her first team, she went on a fair few trips, but they were short.

This one was a bit longer, though, so Karin's restlessness made some sense… Even if her whining did demonstrate what Aiko thought was a strange dependency.

It wasn't like Karin and Hinata would probably be part of a permanent team. The only thing they were really learning from Anko anymore was her special serpentine taijutsu—they had already begun working with specific summons who were tailored to their specialties. With small, fast snakes, Hinata was a rather terrifying scout and infiltrator. Karin preferred to play with serpentine poison. It complimented her specialty in extracting, creating, treating, and reverse-engineering poisons. Although some of her summoned friends were tiny in hopes of using stealth, she generally preferred the shock and awe approach in an actual fight.

Aiko couldn't blame her. If you were going to throw angry, writhing snakes at people, they may as well be forty pound snakes. Why the hell not?

It did make sharing the house a little uncomfortable, to be honest. She had only managed to bring Pakkun over once, before he flipped his lip and started barking.

Apparently, dogs did not like snakes, in person or by scent. Training with the gigantic puppy Pakkun had introduced her to (a fluffy white dear called Mitsuo who she couldn't imagine actually getting in a fight. He was just so skittish and awkward—in that puppy stage where it looked like he was walking on stilts he wasn't quite used to yet after a sudden growth spurt) was complicated by the fact that he downright refused to come within a block of the place. Apparently, snakes weren't well trusted.

'Maybe Anko should move in here and I'll take her old place,' Aiko thought dryly. It wasn't the first time she'd had a similar thought. It totally sucked not to be able to spend time with her summons in the comfort of her own home. The training fields were okay, but… ugh. Just, ugh.

"Hey, are you listening?"

'No', she thought.

"Yes," Aiko said.

"You're a fucking liar," Karin muttered, collapsing indolently onto the pink towel she had stretched out on the grass. "I asked you to toss me the sun lotion."

"Why?" Aiko frowned. "If you're worried about getting burned, why don't go inside?" She quirked her head, and added, "or put clothes on." That was an itty bitty bikini right there. No wonder Karin was worried about tan lines. Nonetheless, she shifted her weight to one foot and kicked the bottle over. Then Aiko tossed her head to dislodge a bead of sweat threatening to roll down her forehead. Ew, so gross. As soon as she was done with conditioning, she would be going inside for a while, thank you very much. Her arms were starting to ache by that point. These types of workouts had been so frustrating lately. It was like no matter how much she worked, she just didn't get any stronger. Her arms had clearly defined musculature, but even Karin showed more raw power when she flexed. Karin hated working out!

Karin propped her torso up with her arms and gave a gusty sigh. "I don't know how I ever forget that you're so clueless," she muttered airily, tossing her hair back.

'Okay, those comments get really old. I guess that's enough push-ups.'

Aiko bent her knees to spring her legs up by her hands, re-situated her weight entirely on her feet, and grabbed her half-empty water bottle as she stood. Then she yanked the contents out in a thin spray that hit her cousin. Karin yelped like a Chihuahua, momentarily stunned by the cold. That delay cost her—Aiko had already given her a grin and shot back into the house.

"You're such a brat!" Karin hollered after her, holding her hands to her mouth. Aiko just snickered, pulling her tank top over her head on her way to the bathroom. It was probably really weird and wasteful, but she always showered and changed clothes between her conditioning workout and whatever else she did that day. It just killed her to wait around in dirty clothes if she didn't have to. She would be meeting with Kakashi in about an hour (hopefully, if he wasn't later than she'd calculated). Aiko wasn't entirely certain what he had planned.

It turned out to be a late day. An hour and a half came and went after she made it to the training grounds. Aiko didn't see hide nor hair of her wayward shishou until she finally gave up and sat down to open her lunch. It was almost one.

"This is not nine-thirty in the morning," she said flatly when she sensed his chakra signature. He just hmm'd and snatched a rice ball out of her tin.

"Really? I had no idea. You see, I was out by the gates, and I thought I saw a dog I knew. I was mistaken, but we had a lovely conversation anyway."

'I'm never sure if it's worse when his excuses are plausible.' She just rolled her eyes. "Yamato is right, you are a mooch, shishou."

"He said that about me?" Kakashi asked in a very false, hurt voice. When Aiko looked up, the rice ball was gone. Then he blinked, suddenly focused on her. It was a bit weird for a second, until… "Good lord, that outfit is an abomination. Did Naruto dress you this morning?"

She threw a cherry tomato at his head. He snatched it out of the air and popped it into his mouth. 'This isn't even that strange,' she pouted. A pink v-neck shirt and white shorts was a bit casual for her to actually work out in, but it was stupidly hot out.

"If you two are done flirting, I thought we were going to be doing some training?" Yamato drawled from somewhere behind her. Aiko made a sound that wasn't much more dignified than Karin's yip that morning and jumped, swiveling to glare at him. He grinned at her boyishly. "If not, I can come back later."

"We need to put a fucking bell on you, cat," she muttered grumpily. Stupid ANBU with their stupid sneaking. Stupid Yamato in particular with his uncharacteristic intelligence in finally figuring out that he could tease her back. Did he know something? Or was that just payback for the 'Yamato Nadeshiko' pun that he couldn't seem to shake? She hadn't meant for that to happen, to be honest. Stupid plebians should come up with their own jokes.

While she was sulking, she'd managed to miss Kakashi's reaction to being accused of flirting like a teenager. One eye narrowed. "You know, you've gotten a little fat," Kakashi mused with sugary concern, giving a slight cringe and obvious once-over to the younger man. "Tenzou, I really think it would be for the best if you ran a few dozen laps around the village to burn off that gut." He flopped down onto the ground and innocently blinked up at him. "We'll wait here for you."

Yamato sputtered, one hand jerking convulsively to his tummy at the same time that he attempted to correct Kakashi about his name, deny the accusation, and presumably whine about being set to run laps like a naughty genin.

Aiko wasn't entirely sure what all he said, to be honest. It was hard to focus when she was so busy trying not to snicker aloud.

'Whipped.' She mimicked the motion behind Kakashi's head, enjoying the way her senpai flushed.

"and you can join him," Kakashi added smoothly. "You'll get fat as a house if you keep eating like that."

Somewhat incredulously, she let her eyes slide over to her packed lunch. Two rice balls, some tomatoes, blanched sweet potatoes and peppers, and a box of grape juice were nestled around a piece of fruit—oh, no they aren't, she noted. Her shishou had already snagged her apple and was rubbing it casually against his pant leg with an amused mien that dared her to say anything.

'Maybe I should have brought another lunch so I could actually eat mine. Does the man just not know how to cook?'

It was hard to imagine him doing anything so domestic as putting together a packed lunch. …Though the mental image was adorable.

When she caught up to him on her second lap, Yamato turned to give her a superior expression. It was mostly ruined by the smirk tugging at his lips.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered, elbowing him in the gut. "At least I'm his apprentice, I have to do what he says. Why are you letting him boss you around?"

It appeared that the thought had never occurred to him before.

Aiko felt a little guilty. Yamato was a nice guy, if a bit of a chump sometimes. It was hypocritical to hold him to standards she couldn't perform to. "To be fair, I wouldn't want to tell him no, either," she sighed. "What if he got disappointed in me for being lazy or something?" She'd never really disappointed him before, and she didn't intend to start now.

"I know what you mean," the man at her side grumbled. In the same serious tone, he continued, "and that's why I'm going to finish my laps first." Her jaw dropped, and she unconsciously kicked up her pace to match his increase in speed. "It'd be a bit embarrassing to match the efforts of a Chuunin," he taunted mildly, easily increasing the size of his strides. It was a bit of a dirty trick to play on someone so short.

She actually didn't mind. 'I didn't know Yamato ever played. He usually seems so serious. First time for everything, then?'

"You wish." She shot back, now full-on sprinting.

He did win. By a good four seconds, which was a helluva long time between shinobi. She was fast, but he was ANBU fast. She faux-glared up at him, working to catch her breath. He looked smug, and then glanced at Kakashi as if hoping for approval.

He just raised an eyebrow, spectacularly unimpressed. She wasn't entirely certain, but it sounded like a disparaging, "puppies," left his lips as he turned away.

Yamato looked mildly devastated.

"What did you want, a medal? Maybe for him to jump out of a cake in his underwear?" she whispered to her companion. Kakashi twitched in a way that implied he'd heard the jab, but was already walking away.

She took the chance to glance over her belongings and take a long pull from her water bottle. As expected, her lunch box hadn't really been touched since she'd left. Kakashi had probably just been teasing, then.

"If you two are done flirting, then," Kakashi mocked with wording like Yamato's earlier. The younger man blushed pink on the tips of his ears. Aiko just rolled her eyes. As if.

"I was thinking that it was probably time to do some team training exercises. It's probably for the best you never had to use your new technique the last time we were out on a mission," he directed at Aiko. "Because I don't think you understand just how much it would disrupt team dynamics."

Yamato eyed her curiously. "So, am I finally going to figure out why you two were growling at each other for two months?" he asked innocently.

"Nope." Aiko popped the 'p' sound and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Don't tease my poor little kohai, Aiko-chan," Kakashi scolded absentmindedly. "Now. Do you have one of your special toys with you?"

'That sounded dirty', Aiko thought. Judging by the way Yamato blanched, he'd had similar thoughts.

"No." She shrugged. "But I could whip one up, if you have the stuff?"

She half-expected it, so she didn't even blink when he unzipped his hip pouch and dug out a brush, ink, and a little pad of unlined paper.

'Someone planned ahead today.'

"Make two," he said shortly. Aiko cringed. 'There goes almost half my chakra,' she sighed. But she nodded obediently and flopped down onto her tummy to work, crossing her ankles in the air behind her. She wasn't entirely sure if the other two did anything or just stared silently the whole time, because she was in a world of her own while she drew. Instead of completely making one before she started the other, she inked both out and then sat up. Aiko tucked one safely under the toe of her sandals to protect it from the wind. Then she drew her knees up to her chest and pressed the other one to the uncovered skin close to her heart, closed her eyes, and worked on infusing it with her chakra. No matter how much practice she got at this part, it seemed to be easier if she was in physical contact with the seal. (The closer to a large gate, the better).

It stopped accepting chakra with a shudder against her consciousness, so she blinked her eyes open sleepily and held the paper out to her shishou. "There's one," she yawned. Kakashi frowned down at her.

"Are they really so tiring? I didn't think…" he trailed off. Aiko shrugged, and answered the unspoken question honestly.

"I have no idea, it might just be me instead of the actual seal. But yes, this part wears me out."

He seemed to frown. "Can you make another one right away?"

"Oh yeah," she reassured him. "I've made up to four in a day before."

'Of course, I did end up in the hospital,' she reminded herself.

It was probably best not to share that part. It took a moment to gather her thoughts enough to ignore the persistent buzzing of the super-close seal in her shishou's hand. She hurried through the second seal, before anyone got bored enough to actually take a nap. Yamato didn't seem particularly thrilled when she'd glanced his way.

Kakashi must have noted the stutter that indicated she was done, because he gently tugged the paper out of her hands and exchanged it for a kunai with her first tag already on it before she'd even opened her eyes. "Once you've cleared your head, show Yamato your little trick, would you?"

She blinked the tiredness out of her eyes and managed a nod. "Of course." For a moment she just twirled the short knife between her fingers, coming back to the real world enough to pick a target. She almost wanted to play with Yamato by throwing it close to him, but that would be phenomenally stupid. He would probably reflexively move to bat it away, which would probably end with her getting cut up or knocked halfway across the clearing.

But on the other hand, she did want to showboat a little bit after he'd showed her up earlier. So instead, she tossed the seal-laden kunai directly up into the air, caught it and safely tucked it into her leg holster, and then gracefully flipped in the air twice before landing in a crouch.

'I should practice more of that,' Aiko silently decided as she fell. 'Is there any point in being this in-shape if I never pretend to be a gymnast?'

She desperately fought not to giggle at the slack expression on Yamato's face. It became easier when her shishou cuffed the back of her head. "Idiot," he muttered fondly while she yelped and jerked away. He cleared his throat. "Depressing, isn't it?" he addressed to Yamato.

Aiko furrowed her brow. "What?"

They ignored her. "A bit, yeah," Yamato agreed, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his neck.

She rolled her eyes. 'Ugh, they suck sometimes. I bet even Karin would have been impressed by that. The Hiraishin is cool, even if I do have something better.' The thought gave her reason to be smug even when the boys were mocking her, but she didn't want to let them know she had something else up her sleeve. It might be useful later. So instead…

"Are you done pretending I'm not here yet?" she demanded crossly.

Kakashi blinked lazily at her, as if he didn't understand why she would be grumpy. "As I was saying. We're going to spar, and Aiko is only going to use Hiraishin and taijutsu. You two against me."

Yamato frowned. "How is that working on team dynamics?"

Both of his companions gave him dry looks. "Obviously, he already knows how to work around it," Aiko drawled. "Besides, what kind of help from me could he possibly need fighting you?" She glanced at him. "Maybe he'd be desperate enough for my help if he was fighting the Hokage or something, but I sort of doubt it." She paused contemplatively. "I guess I could be a decent meat-shield for a blow or two, but I'm not very big… contrary to someone's claims earlier." She shrugged. "I could protect you from a Kage from like, your hips down," Aiko drawled.

It was only a slight exaggeration. She hadn't grown in a little over a year. Doubtlessly, even stumpy little Naruto had surpassed her.

Her shishou looked mildly amused, despite her glare. "Moving on."

'Actually, I was going to have Yamato make all the stupid mistakes and learn from a distance.' He smiled slightly underneath his mask. Honestly, how would he have learned to work around Hiraishin? He'd barely been Jounin when he'd last worked with Minato sensei. He would have to have been in ANBU to keep up in that sort of fight.

It was sort of adorable that the two in front of him deified him to such ridiculous proportions, even after he bullied them and took their lunches. There was probably something severely wrong with both of them.

"I would recommend taijutsu for you as well, Yamato," he added idly as if he'd never trailed off. "It would be a shame if you skewered Aiko." The boy glanced nervously as their kunoichi, who was displaying her usual failure to worry about the possibility of bodily harm. It was probably the biggest personality trait that linked her to her brother, but he at least had a terrifying giant demon in his gut that would feed him chakra if he was in danger. Aiko was just somewhat lacking in common sense.

That, or she trusted entirely too much that he would keep her safe from anything. That possibility was a little unnerving, so he dismissed it.

Yamato pulled his hands slightly away from his side, as if itching to make hand signs. Aiko rolled her neck in that creepy, boneless way of hers (the kid was far too flexible, even for a ninja) and fiddled with the kunai in her hands. Kakashi tucked the kunai he'd attacked the other seal to away safely in his thigh pouch. Best not to have anything sharp out.

"Let's try Chuunin level taijutsu first." He blinked at his subordinates—and then leapt backwards, dodging Yamato's premature strike and the way Aiko immediately followed, tossing her knife to his left and reappearing with a fist readied.

'Well, that's already annoying,' he noted, making a water clone in the trees and switching places with it. When the other two rushed it, he dismissed the clone and let them knock into each other in their failed, uncoordinated attempts to rush him. He didn't bother to suppress his snicker. That did mean that a moment later both of them were barreling up the side of the tree.

When he had finally tired out both of his subordinates, (and they'd stopped humorously smacking into each other) Kakashi called a halt to the practice, eying their pale-faced kunoichi warily. She was controlling her breathing in a way that indicated she was carefully modulating it to get the most oxygen possible, but not panting. It was a bit odd. He'd seen her use the Hiraishin a good forty times, which seemed to indicate that she had been practicing with the technique on her own a fair bit. That would have to end.

"Aiko, I don't want you to practice with the Hiraishin alone. Understood?"

For a moment, it looked like she was going to protest, but she nodded in acquiesce. He let a hint of warning into his tone. "I'm serious. Don't think I haven't heard that you hospitalized yourself the first time you tried."

The girl flushed bright red.

'That wasn't exactly what she told me,' he thought mulishly, not for the first time. It was hard to deny that his apprentice was growing up rapidly— she was keeping her distance (Though he didn't miss the impromptu cuddles. Really), getting a girlfriend, making the ridiculous failure in judgment that somehow allowed her to think he wouldn't take basic investigation measures like cornering Tsunade in her office and demanding access to Aiko's confidential medical information…

The Hokage hadn't even argued, which he was both pleased and disappointed by. It was less fun to make himself a nuisance if no one blinked twice at it. In fact, she'd already had the papers with her.

(He'd always been prone to finding amusement at other people's expense, but taking on the tribute of emulating Obito had provided nearly endless, light-hearted ammunition that safely steered him away from his own adolescent cruelties. Obito had always been the better person).

Kami, Itachi disliked that man. For him, that was a very strong expression of emotion, even if he never managed to state it outside of his head.

A deep chuckle filled the air, and Kisame leaned against the wall. He eyed his partner. "You know, we are eventually going to have to do our real jobs," he pointed out.

Itachi didn't bother to answer. He knew perfectly well that Kisame was itching for a real fight by this point. He had been avoiding working on their assigned jinchuuriki, but they would eventually have to take care of that. They would also have to provide assistance to their comrades.

He found the idea incredibly distasteful, even beyond what he had already been forced to do for Akatsuki. At least missions re-funding the treasury were much like any mission he could have performed in Konoha. Extracting bijuu was an abominable prospect, especially since every one that Madara gained only put Konoha in more danger.

At least he'd apparently stopped caring about what Sasuke did or did not do in his free time. Itachi was quite happy to discard those plans.

"You know, I don't think Sasori will wait much longer," Kisame rumbled.

He was correct, of course. They had not been pushed to hurry their capture of the jinchuuriki because they did not yet have the number and strength of personnel to conclude the extractions necessary. It would have been a wasteful effort to capture them and then keep them under constant guard until Akatsuki numbered enough S-class criminals (who were, frankly speaking, in rather short supply). But now that they had a full ten…

Doubtless, they would be brought to task if they accomplished absolutely nothing. It would be easier to volunteer his assistance to Sasori's efforts than move against Konoha's jinchuuriki.

Besides, Itachi couldn't help but morbidly hope that the mere sight of him would one day throw Deidara into such a rage that he detonated Madara.

A man could dream.

Kiba fidgeted, thoroughly sick of being professional. It boggled the mind that his team had been chosen for such a diplomatically sensitive mission.

'I mean, I get why it has to be done, but I don't get why it has to be us,' he groused.

Kurenai-sensei aimed a gently admonishing look at him as if she could peer directly into his soul with those red eyes of hers. Maybe she could. He huffed and kicked at the dirt.

He could accept that it was great that there was this terrible grain famine in Rock country, but-

Kiba wrinkled his brow. It sounded bad when he put it that way, but it really did make sense.

Everyone seemed to forget that he wasn't actually stupid, but he had noticed the way everyone had been on edge in the last year or so. The older population had acted as war might break out at any minute if they breathed too loudly. The aggressors in that theoretical war always seemed to be Rock and Lightning, two of the few powerful shinobi nations that didn't have some sort of alliance with Konoha. It hadn't actually gotten that far, of course, and it was starting to look like it wouldn't. No nation would be stupid enough to start a war on their own.

Rock must have been very desperate to come to the Fire Country for relief with their famine. The countries were on notoriously bad terms, two decades after hostilities officially ended. Kiba lived in one of the most prosperous agricultural countries in the world- (which was by far the largest) he had never known the possible effects of a single bad year of crops firsthand.

But he had read all about it in the Academy. More than one war had been started over a few dozen miles of fertile land, even in the lower elevations more analogous to Konoha. A place like Rock, where the climate necessarily restricted the variety of foods they could produce, was much more susceptible to being extremely affected by minor climate or social changes.

He understood why it made sense for Konoha to defang Rock by providing aid at a cost. If they didn't, Rock would still have civilians starving in the streets. When diplomatic actions failed, they would have to do something to feed their populace, even if that meant starting an unwise war. Of course, by going to Fire Country for help, popular opinion should swing somewhat in Konoha's favor, which would make it harder for the Tsuchikage to justify making trouble.

'Still don't see why they'd want a tracker team,' he pouted.

The supply caravan moving through friendly Wind Country territory now was rather large- if he'd been the one staffing it, he would have provided them with much more back up. They had a team of chuunin at the back end, but that was it. Considering how important this mission supposedly was, it felt like a rip-off.

Okay, so maybe it made a little bit of sense to have a tracker team, if only because trackers were also sensors by nature. Between his hearing, Akamaru's nose, Shino's bugs, and Hinata's creepy eyes and creepy snakes, they would know if a chipmunk sneezed twenty miles away.

But still, he grumped. This mission totally sucked.

[scoutlxiroth]

✦ CHASE SUI WONDERS, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER ✦ SCOUT LEI-ROTH the TWENTY-SEVEN year old has been in Hidehill for THIRTEEN YEARS ( OFF AND ON ). Whispers on the streets are that the BOTTLE GIRL AT ENVY who lives in HIDE SQUARE are said to be OPEN and SELF-SABOTAGING but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves.

tw: infidelity, drugs, alcohol, divorce, broken home, parental issues/neglect

full name: scout lenda lei-roth

date of birth: february 28th

star sign: pisces

place of birth: palo alto, california

family: lei delun (father), nadine roth (mother), open (half-sibling), open (half-sibling)

sexual orientation: pansexual

religion: agnostic

tattoos: she has a few, though all fairly small. her first was a smiley face she got while underage. the first official was a set of butterflies off a flash. she collected a few more over the years: one on her spine, another finger, and a quote on her right arm. the latest however, is a groovy text at the crook of her right elbow.

style: oversized t-shirts worn in place of dresses, faux leather mod boots, mini skirts, hand-me-down hockey jerseys, denim cutoffs, silk nighties paired against thrifted leather jackets, fun graphic tees that cause heads to turn, itty bitty crops, mesh tops, thrifted skirts giving y2k, mini bohemian dresses, chunky doc martens

red wine stained lips, glitter you can't get out of the carpet, the warmth of a spotlight, towering over a crowd as you dance atop the bar, hands on your ankle begging you to come down, twelve missed phone calls from mom, mascara stained cheeks, butterflies in your chest, the thrumming of club music, a sparkler lit liquor bottle, hyper-fixating on a cellphone screen as you beg for a text to come through, making best friends in a nightclub bathroom, glitter pen scribbles in a journal, lighting a candle to make it all feel better, kissing your friends on the lips, clothes abandoned on a bedroom floor, being so-and-so's sister, knees bruised in the name of attention, & the false feeling of love.

scout was born into chaos. her father, a big shot developer in palo alto, had gotten his mistress pregnant and thus his first marriage ended officially just days before scout popped out of the womb. hated by some from her very first breath.

she never did get to see her father in a functional relationship. the first one deteriorated before she was born, then her own mother got thrown to the curb before scout had the chance to enter preschool, ditched for a younger, more naïve version. but even the third wised up to her father's ways, beating him to the divorce-punch come inklings of yet another affair. three marriages. a kid each.

scout couldn't say much of her half-siblings relationship to their shared father, but her? it was like screaming to a void. nothing came in return.

as if her parental problems weren't already shaky enough, the mother situation felt like trauma three-fold. first, the one that saw her as destruction. next, her own, there but only just. after all, it was hard to look at the spitting image of your worst heartbreak. and then came the last, the outlier. the one scout struggled to accept, struggled to like despite herself. funny how that third wife was the one that tried to include her most.

her youngest sibling had gotten into showbusiness young enough, becoming a childhood star in the midst of elementary school. it was something cool for awhile, something scout even bragged about... until the fame increased and it wasn't some fun fact. suddenly she was so-and-so's sister, not scout. always living adjacent to a fictional character, too beloved for people to turn off their blinders.

whilst supporting her sibling(s)— always content at sitting in the wings reading a book as the camera rolled, even the first to offer up running lines— scout could only handle so much of being overlooked. the only way she knew how to shine despite not being the star of the family was to become the problem. everyone liked a project, right? she wasn’t so invisible when they had to come pick her up off of the front steps of her apartment, unsuccessful in getting her keys to “work” after knocking back countless shots. or when there was video evidence of her dancing on the bar at moon. or that one time she’d called from jail. a misunderstanding, really.

scout self-identifies as a mess. she may be chaotic, but she's not delusional. she'll warn you too. 'proceed with caution.'

before you ask, yes, she has tried therapy. in fact, she's in it now, though the lady isn't who she'd've picked. but, you know, daddy's money. scout's true therapy sessions are poured into her journal: a collection of poems, collages, and diary entries. she's always been a creative but it's been an art she's held to her chest. there are times when therapy sessions come as drunk bathroom chats in the club or 3am soul sessions on a battered couch while passing a bong. scout isn't shy about her feelings or her issues. she knows she has them, fairly obvious too.

it was her frequent club hopping that landed her at envy as a bottle girl. she'd been working the day shift at verdure before, surviving mostly off the brunch shifts and money from her father ( one of the only ways he shows care ). then after a particular night out, the urge of another bottle girl, some tequila, and a sense of "fuck it", scout applied. she was showing off sparkler-adorned bottles of belvedere a few days later. mixing business with pleasure. fun some days, toxic the next.

skateboarding is her main form of transportation. it became a personality trait after she rewatched sleepover in her twenties and saw julie in that red dress being the epitome of cool. does she have her license? yes. car? no. should she be trusted behind the wheel? hard no. she's befriended too many curbs and panics come merging. when it comes to the road, scout is very much a passenger princess. it's better for everyone that way.

scout is a crier. and she’s not too shy about it. in fact, she has been known to openly get her groceries with mascara stains still on her cheeks. but sometimes a bitch just needs to get her emotional support cheez-its.

one of her few commonalities with her father is hockey. it was the sport that captured his interest back in the day, the first one he'd seen live after immigrating. red wings versus the bruins. that game determined their rival as a household years and years on. scout grew up on the red and white, on the shared glow of the television screen, on the play-by-plays from her father— hockey always remaining the time he spoke to her most.

scout lived in and around palo alto for most of her childhood before moving to hidehill for the first time at fourteen when her father opted a go at nashville— thinking "a change might do him good." that change lasted all of three years and then it was off to LA. showbusiness baby. scout left to ASU under the pretense of getting an education... only to drop out within her third year. she's tried her own hand at acting after that with no luck. she took a hop, step, and a jump before landing in new york. an unfortunate roommate situation had her retreating to hidehill ( by grace of that third wife ) within 6 months. despite liking hidehill, scout was a girl that couldn't sit still and so she took off again and for two years bounced between guest rooms, special friends beds, and hotel rooms before her father's guest house in LA became home. it was when she started to feel her roots begin to dig into the soil that scout packed her suitcase once more. then it was hidehill. again. a questionable choice given the latest happenings but it was the closest thing she had to home on the east coast. and scout needed some sense of belonging [ in short... PALO ALTO to HIDEHILL to LA to TEMPE to LA to NYC to HIDEHILL to TRAVELING AROUND to LA to HIDEHILL ] girly made moves.

plenty more in my head but won't write anymore. anything else please ask me <3

general connection ideas: best friends, friends, ex-friends, childhood friends, friends she met in other cities, pseudo siblings, family friends, coworkers ( ex @ verdure or current at envy ), classmates, exes, fwb, one night stand, tinder match, one-sided crush, enemy, annoyance, party friends, regulars at the club, mom-type/responsible friend that tries to keep her in check, neighbor, supporters of her bad behavior, plenttyyyyy more.....

[ PINTEREST ]

[parkjilei]

if nate wanted to go toe-to-toe , park-ji was more than capable — being a little sibling had armed them with an arsenal of weaponry to keep disagreement and discussion sprawling without end . " well , there were no witnesses !! " they countered , as though they had a leg to stand on , " and the DNA evidence was infallible , so who truly knows . " the tight line of their smile twisted as they fought against bursting into hysterical laughter . such an outburst would undoubtedly have them turfed out of the establishment and barred with tiny photographs of their likenesses hidden behind the counter . a bark forced its way from their lips , clamped shut by palms criss-crossed over their mouth . " — you kiss an itty-bitty dick on the head every night ?? " hushed a hurried whisper through the cracks of their fingers , " oh , this is too good . you write this shit yourself . this is too funny . " park-ji was a nerd . nate was a nerd nerd . spreadsheets ?? re-bagging ?? he was lucky he was moderately handsome . " you're gonna be a virgin for the rest of your life . you know that , right , hackett ?? " they teased , surrendering the comic book for their friend and pulling both hands from over their mouth . " if you're serious about organising all your nerdisms i'd love to help . i could come over , we could order a pizza and i promise not to smuggle any little dicks into my pockets . scout's honour , " a hand rested over their heart despite a lack of affiliation to any organisation of the sort . " how could you resist ?? a+ company and pepperoni that looks like human flesh . that's every guy's dream . "

"about as innocent as oj simpson," he muttered under his breath while he rolled his eyes, giving pj a light push on the shoulder. even if he wouldn't admit it out loud, he definitely gave as good as he got. "just 'cause you can make your eyes as big as the saucers that landed here in forty-seven does not mean you're any more or less innocent. look, i can do the exact same thing." there the two of them were making puppy dog eyes and pouty lips at each other like fools, laughing until their sides hurt. "how do you know that i don't give each of them a little kiss on the head every single night?" he countered, miming the gesture of holding one of his figures to give it a kiss on its itty-bitty head. "i would definitely know if nightwing was missing by the time i got to his place in line and couldn't give my sweet prince, dick grayson, his nighty-night smooch." he definitely didn't kiss his action figures on the head, but he was too ashamed to admit that he sometimes talked to them or gave them little pats on the head. he knew pj would make merciless fun of him if they knew that truth. nate didn't even try to get the comic back from them, but made one lackluster paw towards the glossy pages to keep up the game. "congrats TWO you," ah, a nate hackett pun special, served up hot. "if you want to read it, you're gonna need to buy your own. i'm rebagging my collection to check up on what i have and redo my spreadsheets. it's been three months since the last time i did a good overhaul."

[wintermoth]

Pssst it's Girl Scout cookie season!! Remember when you're out there getting your annual Thin Mints fix to treat the kiddos running their booths with the same respect you'd give to any adult running a booth at a market!!

Trust me, you might not remember what it's like to be a kid in their position, but they've got loads of information they're prepared to give to you. They've practiced for this! Engage with them directly and don't look to the chaperones if you don't have to! They might need prompting from time to time from their chaperones, especially the younger ones, but this is as much of a learning experience for them as it is a fundraiser.

Most kids don't get the chance to just candidly interact with adults outside a parental or instructional role in their lives, never mind complete strangers. Not only are you helping them practice their sales and business skills, you're helping them practice their conversation skills!

Even if you already know what a box costs and what cookies you're wanting, ask them questions anyway! Ask the price. Ask if there's any new cookies. Ask them what their favorites are! And better yet, if one of them points out a cookie you intended to get anyway, agree with them and ask for a box! Don't patronize them, don't talk down to them. Give them a chance to flex the skills and knowledge they're developing.

[miss-vanta-likes-to-write]

More to life, More to us

Rating: M for mature, mentions of rape, death, 18+ only.

Summary:

Isis was fifteen when she entered that government facility. She was nearly twenty-eight when she escaped. Years spent at the mercy of scientist, being injected with strange liquids, screaming bloody murder, and loosing child after child. She didn't know why she was suffering, but she did know one thing: her two living children could not grow up on this military base.

Vata was certain his brother had died at the hand of oomans. How could such a hunter succumb to such weak prey. He is bothered by talks from a recovery scout that his dear brother's corpse is being defiled by oomans. He lays his brother to rest, but what he finds is something he simply can't leave on Earth.

Notes:

So boom, new Yautja falling in love with a human fiction. New to the Fandom (thanks to Prey) but I'm not new to monster fucking. Story will have some dicey content but I will update tags as I need to. This is for fun, so don't take it to seriously. I hope you all enjoy because I know that I am.

Read on AO3

Red Light

Isis had always known from the moment she heard their heart beats, that they could not grow up here on this military base. Her children who she so affectionately named Malik and Kalisha, though to the scientist known only as 15-1a and 15-2a, both deserved better. She never got a chance to hold them, both were whisked away as soon as they were cut from her. She knew them though, and they knew her while in the womb, and that was all that mattered. When on her best behavior, she was allowed to view them through a small window from her cell. Allowed to watch them, but never to touch them. Her heart ached for them, but they had each other.

Isis laid on the cell floor watching her children as they played with the toys in the sterile white room. They were too young for the doctors to begin training, but they were given toys to play with. Mirrors, jungle gyms, and colored games to train their minds. She thought they looked weird at first when she saw them. Not sure why they looked so- so alien, odd coloring- skin dark gray with black markings, teeth that were razor sharp with small tusks, and their hair in dreads. She knew as black people their hair could dread naturally, however; the little itty bitty tendrils were odd. She often wondered if their hair felt like hers.

Kalisha was larger than her brother, more aggressive and vocal. The little girl often enjoyed Isis noted, to tackle the weeble wobble bear often. The small girl growled, and hissed at the toy. Her sharp nails leave scratch marks on the poor toy. Each time her green eyes were filled with unmistakable triumph.

Malik was softer than his sister. He stacked blocks and played with colored shape matching toys. He would often stare into the two way window. His green eyes watching, himself intently, and for a moment Isis wondered if her baby boy knew she was in the room next door. She knew it was not possible, as a moment later he would laugh at his reflection and run from it.

The door to the cell beeped and opened. Her time watching her children had come to a close. At the door stood her guard and scientist, both of them watching her closely.

"Come 15, it is time for new testing to be done." The scientist, Dr. Marta looked down at her holo-board. Tapping away on the screen the woman took another deep sigh. Since patient 15 had given birth a year and a half ago, the damn thing was harder to control. Corporal punishment could not be used, unless they took risk damaging her and her precious ovaries and body. The team was studying her and needed to make sure she could conceive again.

"Now 15, or your viewing privileges will be terminated." Dr. Marta's voice held venom. The soft click and hum of a stun-rod turned on. The guard had its orders to use only necessary force.

Taking a deep breath and standing to her feet Isis turned to the Doctor. "Aren't they growing so fast?" Isis spoke mostly to herself than the doctor.

Dr. Marta didn't speak. Instead her blue eyes lifted up to the two way mirror to see the children be gathered by her team. Their chubby legs kicking, the shrill sound of their laughter and baby babel. In all of her years she didn't think they would ever get closer to breeding super soldiers and yet they were. The inconvenience of losing test subject after test subject, years of data either gained or lost, all of it manifested into the birth of 15-1a and 15-2a. Hopefully within another year there would be a 15-1b and 15-2b. Dr. Marta then turned her eyes to 15.

The girl had been Isis before everything was stripped from her. She fought hard, and was their most difficult test subject, but over the years she became a constant simmer of rage. Always watching each person carefully, listening to every word spoken, aware almost like she was planning. What she was planning, well not a single person knew, but as long as she could lose the privilege of even seeing her offspring, she sat in quiet, simmering, rage filled silence.

Dr. Marta hummed before turning to leave. She didn't need to ponder on if the subjects were getting bigger, "Come we have a test to run."

Isis took one last look as her children were being taken away. Her heart ached, it clenched with both sadness and anger. She just knew she had to get them out, to see even a bit of sunlight. For them to feel the warmth of light on their skin, the cool breeze tickle their strange hair, to feel grass between their clawed toes. Even more so, Isis wanted to hold them. A thick two way mirror would simply not do for raising her children.

--

Vata had been surveilling the military base for just over two Earth days. His mask flickered between reading heat signatures of oomans, and the HUD map that his scouts had supplied him with. His body tense, like a spring pulled too tight, leaned forward to get a better view. Some males with guns patrolled, he counted at least thirty which was small. Clicking through the heat signatures setting again, he paused his scanning at the sight of two smaller silhouettes. They were being carried by oomans, but the heat map of their bodies were closer to that of a suckling.

Vata was…perplexed. That confusion however turned into disgust at the idea of there being sucklings trapped in a place such as this. He felt a rumble of a growl start in his chest, but he stamped it out before it could become a sound from his mouth. Instead he switched his display once more, deciding to attack. It was now or never, but the idea of storming the place and finding the disrespected remains of his hunt brother unnerved him.

Death was always a fact of life, the Black Hunter claimed those who died in hunts and during missions with honor. Hunters knew death intimately and often knew that to die during a hunt was the most honored way to pass over. The only dishonorable thing about Vota's death was that his body was not laid to rest properly.

No

The only thing that unnerved Vata greatly was being alone for good now. Vota was his other half, his brother both biologically and in hunting spirit. Their bearers had been great friends and carried them both at the same time. They shared a sire, and more often than not both had earned the wrath and annoyance of the sire. Mostly it was Vota, always getting them in trouble with the clan leader, playing tricks well until their final chiva. After they had crossed the threshold into adulthood, newly blooded and allowed to hunt and finally earn the rites to mating, Vota had changed. He began to act strangely after, running off on hunts at back water planets. Spending cycles at a time not returning messages, missing their annual hunts together. Vata worried that his brother was becoming bad blood, a dishonorable fall from grace that no male could recover from. He thought of the last hunt the two had gone on.

--

"Don’t you think it strange that we hu nt so much and mate so often but live lives that are stale?" Vota had spoken out loud.

The two of them were sitting watching the stars after a successful hunt. Vata looked over at him, polishing his newly acquired poison sylph* skull. It had taken three days to track down the scuttling beast and two hours to bring the hard shell beast down. Vata wanted its skull and tail to hang on his trophy wall. Vota had wanted to spend time on a dry arid planet.

Vata grumbled, "We live honorable lives, Vota."

"Yes, but do you ever crave more?" He pondered

"We are not learned ones with wisdom to understand such things."

"But…brother of mine, don't you ever question if there is more to life?"

Vata growled and looked at his brother full on. His dark green eyes glaring, "where is this coming from?" Never in his 600 years had he heard his brother say such maddening things.

Vota sat up and sighed, "no need to flare up. I'm just curious about your opinion. I'm of the mind that there is more to life than hunting and rutting and to sire more offspring…only for half of them to die in chiva."

"We are still young, only elders who are near the end of their lives and learned ones think of these things." He shook his head, his dreads swinging about his face gently. The warm air suddenly felt cool and clammy though his netting regulated his temperature.

Silence hung in the air. Vata stared at his brother, and studied him. His dark gray coloring had become darker over the years, maybe by the time he was 900, he would be the color of night. Females found his coloring appealing, some said that he was an incarnation of Centanu himself.

"I watch them, you know." Vota's sudden voice rang through the silence.

"Who?"

"Oomans…such short lifespans but that does not deter them from life."

This was starting to sound like a bad blood's thoughts. Vata didn't like it one bit. He always knew his younger brother was wistful and reckless, but this was new.

He continues "oomans are clever, they offer a great hunt if you find the right one. They live such short but full lives. I've watched them raise young, cry over death, and celebrate life. Yes there are some that suffer, there are some that are dishonorable, but all humans have fight in them. All of them and they fight for life and freedom and each other."

Vata growled and stood up "enough! You sound like a bad blood, stay away from that back water planet Vota."

--

Vata wished his brother had listened to him that day. Now he was dead and desecrated in a human lab.

The screams and gunfire rang out over the sound of alarms trilling. Red lights flashed, bathing everything in a blood glow. Vata extended his blades and cut through the humans. They were easy prey, all humans were, so it baffled him that his brother could fall to one. A bullet cut into his arm, but he paid it no mind as he ripped a soldier's head from his body. It was unnecessary, yes, but his rage was blinding as he followed his brother's scent. It was faint, covered by the smell of decay. He rounded a corner to see two great big metal doors. Kicking them in, he growled a growl that turned into a roar. In some type of glass stasis pod sat his brother. Frozen, his black skin a sickly gray coloring. Tubes were hooked to him, monitors beeped showing a weak heart beat.

He clicked through his HUD screens, quickly trying to do a scan. There was little hope, but maybe just maybe if he got him back to Yautja Prime he could be saved. The scan was quick the second he got the pod open. Green eyes met dull green eyes. The ringing of the alarms seemed distant.

"Vata" his brother's voice was strained and quiet.

"How do you live?" Vata wasted no second trying to figure out the primitive technology "what must keep you breathing?"

"Vata listen." Vato stretched his mandible wide in a hiss of pain. It was rare to see such a display. Shameful but neither cared. "They have revived me and taken me from Cetanu himself more times than I can count."

Vata switched his HUD screen to normal so that he could see his other half one last time. He didn't speak, afraid years of control on anger and emotions would slip. The upheaval of emotions in him was too great.

"Vata, she-", Vota coughed, the beeping on the monitors became weak. Suddenly there was no beeping of the monitors, just the sound of a long continuous beep trilling underneath the sound of the alarms.

The sound of gunfire drew his attention again. He would clear the area of all prey that he deemed dangerous. Fill his need for blood shed at the behest of his brother and burn the place to the ground!

He pulled his brother from the pod and set to work disposing of his body properly. 'May your hunts be successful always' he thought as the acidic liquid melted away the body. Shots rang out again as a robotic voice went on about a containment breach. Then there were more shots echoing down the halls.

--

Isis had acted quickly when the alarms had gone off. She wasted not an ounce of a second, her arm swung out and grabbed the shocked doctor by the collar. It was some lanky gray haired man, she head butted him. Pain shot through her forehead from the head butt. When the doctor hit the floor, she set to work ripping out the wires from her arm. They had been injecting her with some type of liquid, it burned going in. The last needle out of her arm, she got her clothing back on. White pants and a loose fitting shirt, she wasn't sure if it would be enough to protect her from the elements but she didn't care.

The door to the lab slid open when she waved the lanky gray man's badge in front of the keypad. The hallway looked hellish, blood and red lights with bodies on the floor. Taking a deep breath, she took off down the hallway towards the nursery. Isis was consumed with tunnel vision, the sound of blood rushing through her ears kept her going.

'I just have to get to them' she thought repeatedly. Her legs burned with each step, her nostrils flared to take in deep breaths. There were gunshots and screams. She rounded another corner, then another then finally she burst into the nursery like a bat out of Hell. Another gun shot rang out and pain shot through her arm. Standing in front of her was Dr. Marta. Both women didn't move at first, for a moment Isis pondered if she would make it to her before she shot her gun again. Dr. Marta stood in front of playpens, both women knew that as long as Marta stood there Isis wouldn't do anything rash.

"Now 15…" Dr. Marta aimed the gun, "let's be reasonable." Marta didn't want to kill this one, not this successful experiment.

"Isis." Isis cracked her neck to the side.

Dr. Marta frowned, "15-"

Whatever the bitch was going to say Isis didn't care as she charged her. The pain from the first bullet had subsided. She let out a screech that sounded no less than a demon calling for blood. Marta had shot off her gun two more times before she hit the ground, both shots hit Isis in the chest and stomach. There was a pained roar from Isis as she got her hands onto Marta's neck.

It was rage that raced through her blood as the two of them grappled for control of the gun and the fate of the other. The gun was knocked away towards the playpen. There was blood that leaked from Isis, but she ignored the pain in favor of gouging out the doctor's eyes. Marta screaming bloody murder and flailing, she managed to knock Isis off of her.

"You've blinded me!" Marta yelled as she scrambled to her feet. Her arms swung out in a panic as she screamed.

Isis quickly got up and tackled her again. She screamed as her nails dug into the woman. She bit flesh, tore at her face and maimed her. Bloody hands wrapped around Dr. Marta's throat, squeezing and bashing her head into the tiled ground. All the while Isis didn't stop screaming, the sound escaping from her was animalistic. Years of unadulterated rage seethed from each and every pore of her being. Each time Isis slammed the doctor into the floor, there was a sickening crunch and wet smack. Dark crimson blood splattered everywhere, landing on Isis's brown face and white clothing.

Suddenly Isis' blind rage halted at the sound of a cry. It pierced the wail of the alarms, and became heavier and frantic. She looked up from the now dead doctor and stared at her children. Both of them were awake and crying, fear in their eyes. Slowly she stood and placed a bloody hand onto Kalisha first, then over to Malik. It was her first time touching her children, first time seeing them face to face. No thick glass keeping them apart.

She was stunned at their cries, at their beauty, and at the reality that they didn't know her.

Isis looked down at herself to inspect her injuries, most of them had begun to heal to her astonishment! This had never happened before but she didn't question a miracle and instead got to work gathering her children. She picked up Kalisha first, and her blanket.

"Please let me remember how to do this." Isis swung the baby onto her back and leaned over. In her youth she recalled seeing one of her foster mothers wear her baby. She hastily tied Kalisha to her back and then did the same for Malik, except to her front with him facing her. It was not perfect but it would have to do. She grabbed the gun from the floor and took off out of the nursery. The children continued to scream and cry as she raced towards the exit.

"The experiment is trying to escape!" A voice shouted above the chaos of the sounds.

Isis slid around a corner almost slipping and falling in a rush. The adrenaline pumping through her, the sound of her babies crying, she was going crazy with fear! There was another gun shot followed by a scream and what sounded like a roar. She looked over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of a silhouette. It was bathed in red light, red glowing eyes watched her.

She pushed on finding an emergency exit that was ripped off the hinges. She was almost free! The sound of gunfire continued to ring out behind her, the soldier's screams echoed, she could feel the pure terror right in her bones. That same terror was soon replaced with cool night air.

Her feet carried her into the tree line, it had been years since she felt grass, sticks, and dirt. It had been years since she felt fresh air on her skin. She grabbed onto a tree and stood there for a moment. Catching her breath as she knelt down. Kalisha and Malik had not stopped crying, they were going to attract more soldiers, she was sure of it.

"Please my babies, please, mommy has you." She bounced a bit on her toes trying to sooth them both. "Mommy is here, I am here, my loves."

Her eyes burned with tears that threatened to spill. She had gotten out, but where was she to go? She had been in that government building since the sweet age of fifteen. She had no known family, she was sure that they were going to be captured again.

"No." She whispered to herself, "I will kill you both and then myself first." She stood up, tiredness finally catching up with her. The darkness of the forest paired with its silence was spine-chilling. There was something in the dark with them. Her first thought was a bear, bobcat, anything stalking them. Checking to make sure the safety was off of the gun still, she trudged on. Her babies began to calm, their voice hoarse, cries dotted with hiccups. She placed her free hand that didn't hold the gun securely into Malik's hair. His hair felt warm, the itty bitty dreads were thick, it felt more alien than like her own soft hair. The action soothed him and he hugged onto her.

Isis's heart fluttered at the affection, her son sought warmth from her. Her daughter still whined though and hiccups with heavy breathing. Only the three of their breaths, and the sound of her feet in the dead leaves could be heard.

This silence was loud.

Whatever was stalking them was close.

---

Vata had followed the ooman female. He watched from the trees and kept his cloaking on, being careful of any twigs that could snap and give his position away. She had two pups tied to her, every few steps she would stop to readjust them. He clicked the zoom on his mask so that he could get a better view of them. What he saw almost made him choke on nothing, his brother's coloring on the pups, their hair that of a Yautja. He was looking at Yautja pups, and more than likely, these pups belonged to his brother. This changed things, made them more complicated. He simply couldn't leave them here.

The female stopped walking, altogether, she whipped around aiming the gun towards his direction. There was no way she could see him, it was impossible.

"I swear to God I will shoot!" She looked around uneasy. Though her voice was loud and assertive, he could scent the fear on her. Her eyes were narrowed as she searched the tree line. Slowly she backed up until she gently nudged up against a tree. The pups began whimpering, reacting to their bearer's voice.

Vata slowly and quietly dropped down from the tree a few feet away from her. She was still looking for him, or anything probably. He carefully typed away on his gauntlet, searching for the right intonation of what he wanted to say. Finding it and readying the few voice clips, he uncloaked himself.

"Don’t shoot" a female's voice rang out disrupting the silence.

Isis whipped her head back and forth, trying her best to find who had said those words. There was a shimmer before her as the same silhouette appeared before her. Red glowing eyes stared her down from about 10 feet away. This mass of muscle was huge, towering above her at least eight feet tall. The moon's light made it look like a demon and for a moment, Isis knew that was what it had to be.

She kept her gun aimed at it, "Don't come closer." She could barely hear herself over her own fear that raced through her.

"Help, please" another voice, a man this time came from the demon in front of her. "Let me help you." Another human voice

It took a tentative step towards her and she didn't hesitate to shoot a warning shot at its feet. The demon stopped, easily avoiding the bullet. They were at a stand still.

"Let me help you" the human voice echoed again.

Just at that moment however the sound of a helicopter could be heard. A searchlight appeared and then another one. Back up had come and they had to be looking for her. Isis looked at the demon, and then up towards the sky. She was trapped in a rock and a hard place. Her darling babies began to whimper and shift in their ties. Above them, the searchlights got closer.

The demon offers out its hand. The same voice clips echoing again.

Isis didn't hesitate to take it.

[saltymongoose]

yo what if the madcom boys instead of getting jealous of player character they p much idolize it. like yo! our god made this thing! bonus if every time reader calls pc baby the boys follow suit

Reader: Baby boy, baby

Hank: *squishes their cheeks* itty-bitty bab

Oh! This is an interesting idea. I'd imagine that this starts once the boys make little inquiries about the arena character's connection with you, which they answer honestly (huge mistake). Giving responses like "Oh yeah, the choice to just punch things was actually their idea" and "They even choose the clothes I wear too. I mean, they have really good fashion taste, so I can't complain, y'know?"

This causes them to realize the true extent of your influence over your character, and how they're basically an instrument of your design. This irreversibly changes the dynamic of their friendship with your character, going from thinking of them as a close friend if not a (unofficial) member of their team to more of an idol. They were the model grunt insofar as they were concerned, and they'll see the constant compliments and awe they shower your character with as more proof of their love for you as well.

This makes your character really uncomfortable, because they just want to be seen as a normal person (and left to their own devices with you for a bit, but of course that's apparently too much to ask). When their superiors are constantly fawning over them and praising everything they do, no matter how small or insignificant, it can get very tiring. Especially when they baby them.

Now, your character actually likes being fawned over if it's from you. They see you as their guardian, and it's immensely fulfilling to have someone care about them so genuinely without any ulterior motive. But going from you with your sweet comments ("You're doing so well! I'm proud of them, chat" and "My sweet lil' baby man, I love them so much, look at them!" to name a few) to their friends giving them more affection and echoing your words is just unsettling. They never thought Hank of all people would be holding (squishing) their face in his palms and mumbling stuff about how "baby" they are while the others nod in agreement (also openly pondering their apparent "baby-ness" as well). God help them if they start trying to shield them in combat because of this (you obviously wouldn't want to see your child get injured, right?).

They wouldn't even be so pissed off if it weren't for the fact that they are literally older than all of them!! Your character is a G01; it's why they were scouted for this job in the first place. Sure, they were never treated as being old, but being an equal was just fine. Now it's just insulting. You get a pass because you're pretty much their parent anyway, but why must they insist on acting like this??

[meettheprivate]

Bedtime Cuddles with their SO [TF2 x SO]

How the Mercs prefer to cuddle (specifically before bed) with their partner. <3

Scout: He is a big fan of spooning, specifically when he is the little spoon. He doesn't care if you're smol, tol, thicc, teeny, he wants to be held by you. Of course, if you prefer being the little spoon, he is more than willing to take turns and wrap his self proclaimed "manly" arms around you. However his legs tend to go everywhere at night.

Soldier: He's a fan of the heart-formation hug. The kind where you look at each other and lay on the opposite side to face each other. You soon find out he loves it because then he can more easily give you words of affirmation before falling asleep, and because then the raccoons can lay in the space between you two.

Pyro: They don't like sleeping with you facing them, simply because they don't want you to see their face or body without their protective gear. To help their insecurities, you are on permanent little-spoon patrol. The perk of this however, is they whisper lots of sweet words of affirmation in your ear as they snuggle against your form. Plus, this is the number one best way to receive Py kisses on the neck.

Demoman: Spicing things up on the nightly is his preference. Some nights you'll be spooning with him as the big spoon, other nights you're the big spoon, some nights you're cuddling with his head on your chest or your head on his chest, and of course some nights you're in the heart shape. He never wants things to feel stale. Of course if he's had one too many drinks, he'll be the little spoon every single time so he has ease of access to the washroom.

Heavy: Big bear man gives big bear hugs. He not only wants you to rest your head on his chest, oh no, he wants your entire itty-bitty form on his chest, stomach, etc. He'll wrap his arms around you so tight you'll feel like you're strapped in for the night, but that's just the way he and you like it. Sometimes he'll ask to rest his head and arm on your chest, but he'll always make sure to be delicate as possible.

Engineer: Similar to Demo, he likes to mix things up from time to time. However, he exclusively prefers taking the dominant position; your head on his chest, being the big spoon with his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, or heart shaped with his arm protectively over your waist or shoulder. He just likes to make you feel safe, and feel taller, ya'know?

Medic: Bedtime cuddling? That's funny. That suggests the man sleeps! Just kidding, he relishes in cuddling you - it's one of the highlights of bedtime. He'll likely crawl into bed after you've started drifting off, but that won't stop him from spooning you and nuzzling his neck in your shoulder, fluttering your neck, back, and shoulder with many kisses. After his ritual he'll be ready to sleep with your back safely against his chest.

Sniper: Ever since the incident* he refuses to commit to the spooning position unless it's after lovemaking and you both will likely stay awake. He also prefers to be able to make eye contact with you, so he prefers that sweet heart shape. He won't speak, his eyes and smile will do the talking for him. He'll give you light touches on your cheek, your hips, your chest, etc., just to remind you just how much you mean to him before falling asleep.

* - Snipe's long-ass legs got tangled around your waist to the point where he basically pretzeled you in. It took help from Heavy and Medic to pry his legs off of you. Worse yet, you both were naked at the time.

Spy: While he does enjoy a good cuddle session before bed, he has a nightly ritual that requires him to have quite a few products on his face - or so he says - so he doesn't want you looking at him. Just like Pyro, he'll make you the little spoon always just so you don't have to see all the towels wrapped around his head. In reality, he's just not ready for you to see him mask less just yet. Don't worry, when he's ready, he'll make up for only letting you be a little spoon every, single, night.

[little-mad]

“Tiny ears! Remember?!” With Tara and Thomas!

Ok, I really liked writing this one

From this list of prompts here

And for anyone who doesn’t know, more details about these two can be found on my oc masterlist

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After knowing one another for two months, Tara finally agreed to cross into giant territory for her meetings with Thomas. Admittedly, it was kind of awkward standing on opposite sides of the creek. More importantly, being out in the open like that, they ran the risk of getting seen by somebody. Tara definitely did not want to have to explain why she was hanging out with a giant to her family and friends back home.

The spot she and Thomas had decided on wasn’t far into giant territory, in fact Tara could still catch a glimpse of the border through the trees. Meanwhile, Thomas was about as concealed as his giant form would allow in an area with trees shorter than him.

Of course, Tara never would have agreed to the arrangement had she not been confident Thomas harbored no ill will towards her. The guy had saved her life twice, and after getting to know him better and better over time, she could almost call him a friend.

That being said, Tara had been sure to set up clear ground rules. Most important of the rules was that Thomas had to keep his hands to himself unless given express permission otherwise. The giant had pouted extensively about it. He obviously got a kick out of holding and touching her, which was exactly why Tara had forbidden it. Plus, being around hands that could easily snuff out her life made her more than a little anxious, believe it or not.

In order to avoid physical contact while still managing to remain close to Thomas’s eye level, Tara had positioned herself in a high branch of a tree directly in front of where the giant was sitting. Thomas had been fretting like a mother hen as she climbed up, insisting it was too dangerous for someone “so itty bitty.” The comment only served to make Tara climb quicker. She’d been scaling trees since she was little, she knew exactly what she was doing.

“Wait, but I thought you said you wanted to study at that university?” Tara inquired as she absentmindedly swayed her dangling legs back and forth.

During their last meeting, Thomas had explained to her his desire to attend some fancy school in a giant city a ways away. They had something sort of similar on the human side of the border, but it was incredibly far away and was very selective with who they allowed as students. No one in Tara’s town ever even considered it as a feasible option.

Thomas gave a humorless laugh. “Well of course I want to, both Lane and I have dreamed of going there for years,” he explained. “But it costs an arm and a leg to even be allowed to study there, not to mention room and board, food, supply costs...we’d never be able to afford it.” He let out a resigned sigh.

A frown formed on Tara’s face. She couldn’t necessarily empathize with Thomas’s situation exactly, but the feeling of being trapped by forces out of her own control was familiar enough after encountering giants. “So what are you going to do then?” she asked. The First Hunt had marked Thomas’s transition from child to adult, meaning he could no longer rely on his parents and needed to seek out a way to make a living.

“I’ll probably start helping out at my uncle’s shop, at least for now,” Thomas said with a shrug. He didn’t look especially pleased with the plan, but before Tara could call him out on it, he spoke up again. “What about you? Are you going to keep gathering supplies for your doctor?” he questioned.

Since even before she had finished school, Tara had been assisting the town’s physician by foraging for medicinal supplies that could be found in nature. At first it had mostly been freelance, but within the past month she had begun receiving a regular wage from the doctor. Tara enjoyed the unrestrictive nature of the work, plus the pay wasn’t half bad either. That being said, she couldn’t see herself doing it for the rest of her life.

“Well actually…” Tara started, “I’ve been thinking I might want to join one of the scouting parties.” The job was mentally and physically demanding, but scouts were well paid and well respected. Plus, after almost being eaten on two separate occasions, Tara felt as though non-giant related dangers were pretty manageable.

“Are you crazy?!” Tara winced at the unexpected volume of Thomas’s voice, her hands instinctively going to cover her ears against the thundering noise.

When her ears stopped ringing, she lowered her hands and shot a scowl up at the giant’s face. “Hey!” she shouted, “Tiny ears! Remember?!” Despite his natural enthusiasm, Thomas was usually pretty good at keeping his voice at a volume that was comfortable to Tara. Over time, his accidental loud outbursts had decreased in frequency. Whatever streak he’d had was now soundly broken of course.

Thomas’s eyes went wide as he realized what he’d done. “Sorry, sorry!” he exclaimed in an overly hushed tone. His cheeks became tinged with a slight red color and he wore a regretful expression on his face as he looked down at Tara. “I just--I can’t believe you would actually consider doing something so needlessly risky.” When he finished the sentence he began to take on the appearance of a stern father or something.

Tara pressed her lips together. She wasn’t really sure why Thomas seemed so worked up over the idea of her joining a scouting party. In the past, she had described what the scouts did and why they were so important to the wellbeing of her town. She’d mentioned the fact that, aside from ensuring no giants ever crossed into human territory, scouts were also responsible for fending off vicious wild animals, as well as occasionally dealing with bandits that sometimes hung around the woods surrounding the town. Sure, it was probably one of the more dangerous jobs Tara could do, but it wasn’t as if it were a death sentence. It was rare that a scout was ever killed in the line of duty.

“It’s not ‘needlessly risky’, Thomas,” she insisted. “Scouts are vital to the safety of my town. Plus, it’s not as dangerous as you seem to be imagining it to be.”

“The world is a dangerous place, and you’re so small--” Thomas started, but Tara was quick to interrupt him with a raised hand.

“Okay--just because I’m small to you, doesn’t mean I can’t handle myself just fine.”

“But why risk it when you don’t have to?”

Tara rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to live my life in a bubble.” It was becoming increasingly clear to her that while Thomas may view her as a person in some respects, he still thought of her as some kind of weak creature in need of protection. Considering he’d had to save her life on multiple occasions, Tara supposed she couldn’t entirely blame him. But that had been when she’d been in giant territory. Things were different on her side of the border.

At first, Thomas opened his mouth as if he were about to shoot back a retort. However, after a moment’s pause, his expression softened slightly. “I’m--I just don’t want you to get hurt,” he admitted.

Tara sighed. It was hard to stay too mad at the guy when he sounded so genuine. He seemed to really care about her wellbeing, even if he was being a bit overbearing about it. She allowed her tensed shoulders to relax. “I appreciate your concern,” she began, making sure to choose her words carefully. “But I promise, I’ll be fine.” Tara offered Thomas her most sincere smile. “Besides, I don’t even know for sure if I am actually going to join a scouting party. It’s just a possibility.”

With slow, controlled movements, Thomas leant forward so that his face was hanging about a foot above where Tara sat. She stiffened when one of his hands gently settled down beside her on the branch, close but not quite making contact with her body. “You don’t know how much I wish I could touch you right now,” he stated, a petulant look on his face.

With her cheeks flushing pink, Tara attempted to disguise it by fixing an unperturbed expression on her face. “You--you can keep your hands to yourself, Mr. Grabby,” she declared stubbornly.

Even if she trusted Thomas not to hurt her, willingly allowing a giant to touch her felt like crossing some line. Of course, she’d already crossed all kinds of lines just by agreeing to meet with him in the first place. Maybe Tara wasn’t completely opposed to letting him touch her--but only for practical purposes! Allowing him to fiddle with her now was certainly not practical.

Thomas gave Tara a pouty face, but when she remained resolute, he released a dramatic sigh before pulling away. “You’re killing me here.”

Tara snorted as she shook her head. “You are such a drama queen.”