#but most of the shit i heard him do is something scout would also do

[cervinae-canine]

no hate to the scout fans but to me, he is like a weird combination of jerma and steve-o.

[scr11bles]

Hi! Could I have a medic x fem! Reader Italian espresso with a side of chocolate macaron and chocolate cake?

order up for anon! wanna order something for yourself? here's the menu!

- italian espresso: "Try to stay quiet, understand?" + chocolate cake: forced proximity + chocolate macaroon: rough sex

(MDNI UNDER THE CUT!)

cw: technically cnc (reader wants it but theres no explicit permission given), a little bloodplay but its barely there so??, unprotected sex

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Honestly, you thought Medic hated you. Really, most of the team did when you first showed up, mainly because you were a new face (and also a woman but you reprimanded them swiftly and proved yourself overtime), but Medic always seemed to be the one that would ignore you the most. Even Spy treated you like you existed, which is saying a lot in reference to the Frenchman and his closed off put together personality.

Medic ignored you so much that you haven't even gotten your surgery to have the ability to be Übercharged. Which, in retrospective makes the situation worse for him and you. Ultimately more him than you, since without the ability to Übercharge, you were a prime target for the other duplicate team, constantly being the main focus of their ire. With this, Medic had to follow you around more, pushing himself away from the group and heal you with his medigun before walking away with a scoff and grumbling under his breath.

That particular incident was even happening now, Medic having to strafe away from the group and running behind you to heal you as you outran and skillfully shot at the Blue Scout that wouldn't leave you the fuck alone. Though just as you turn the corner with medic in tow, the enemy Heavy and his own Medic appear, causing you to skid to a stop and turn around, your shoulder crashing into Medic's, making you to trip and catch yourself before running in the opposite direction, barely avoiding the rain of bullets that whir from the Blue Heavy's gun. Running on pure adrenaline and the fear of feeling the pain of being killed (You bitched about that for weeks when you began- how do these people have the ability to literally undo death, but not be able to prevent the pain that comes from it?).

You feverishly turn another corner, entering one of the spacious rooms of the Teufort location and scrambling towards one of the nearby doors, opening it wide and grabbing onto Medic's arm to pull him through with you. Sure, the man probably hated your guts and didn't give two shits about how you ended up, but that doesn't mean you would leave him behind, he is your teammate after all.

Though when you expect to run into a different room, you slam into the wall of... A closet? Fuck. Medic crashes in after you, his medigun clattering to the floor as the door is shut behind the two of you. The closet is smaller than it appears to be, forcing you to squirm against the doctor as your heart pounds in your chest from the combination of fear and adrenaline, making your chest rise and fall quickly, your lungs screaming for the air that was stripped from you during the chase. All of the sudden you feel your heart drop as Medic's large hand wraps around your mouth, silencing your frantic breathing. The smell of latex and blood making your head feel fuzzy.

"Try to stay quiet, understand der Schatz?"

His voice is silken but with a twist, the tone he uses holding a sort of rumbling growl in its depths. You feel Medic's other hand snake around your waist, tugging you towards him to press your back against his chest, and you can feel that he too is panting, his warm breaths ghosting against the back of your ear. You turn your head to the side slightly, making eye contact with him and letting your expression get away from you as your eyes go wide from the shock of him being so close and willingly touching you. The way your eyes must've been bugging out of your head makes Medic smirk down at you, the man chuckling darkly. It isn't the first time you've heard the sound, but when he's so close you feel the rumble and baritone of the sound, causing goosebumps to erupt across your skin.

Footsteps pound against the flooring outside the door to the closet and you swear you feel Medic pull you closer to him, his hand still staying pressed against your mouth to keep you quiet. Your eyes stay wide as you hear the enemy Medic and Heavy talk, praying to whatever god that they wouldn't find you and your own Medic and shoot the two of you dead. As the footsteps of the enemy fades, you imagined crying from the relief. Thinking that Medic would let go, you try to move forward and reach for the doorhandle until you feel Medic tighten his grip on you and keep you in place, making you cinch your eyebrows together and crane your neck to look up at him behind you.

"We should wait. They could be lingering..."

He murmurs against the shell of your ear, immediately feeling your face burn from the close proximity. You suppose he was right, and this position didn't really hurt, in fact- you really liked this position. Medics hand splays across your stomach, his gloved fingers practically teasing the edge of the shirt of your uniform, threatening to slip the cool latex under the fabric and tease your skin. You in turn arch you back into him, the chill of his gloves making you squirm, causing Medic to tighten his hold on you even more.

"Careful Schatz, you're not trying to provoke me, are you?"

He teases, sliding his gloved hand under your shirt and letting his fingers roam across your stomach, slowly inching his fingers up to your ribs and feeling him shudder as he touches the bottom of your ribcage. His deft fingers prodded at your ribs before sliding his hand up further and cupping your breast through your bra, giving the sensitive mound of flesh a rough squeeze that elicits a hiss from you. Once again, Medic chuckles against your ear, lowering his face to nuzzle the side of you neck before biting onto the curve where you neck meets your shoulder, sinking his teeth deep into your skin and pulling away when you whimper to lick at the blood that pools at the marks.

You murmur his name, and you feel the twitch in his pants start to grow behind you, his hand around your breast tightening once more for a rough squeeze before trailing back down to your pants, sliding his gloved fingers beneath the fabric and pushing aside your panties before swiping a finger across your slickening folds. The wet sounds that echo off the closet walls make you whine, embarrassment and pleasure flooding through your veins at the sound of your arousal.

"Don't be shy Liebe, I've wanted this too."

Medic growls against the skin of your throat, his gloved fingers rubbing slow circles on your clit while relishing in the small noises that escape you and the quivers of your body. You swallow shakily, letting a particularly large moan tumble past your lips when Medic pushes two fingers into the depths of your wet heat, the texture of his gloves and thickness of his fingers making your brain short circuit. He curls his fingers deep inside you and keeps his thumb on your clit, the stimulation making your knees grow weak and pathetic whines exude from your throat. At a particular brush against your sweet spot, a loud moan escapes past your lips. Medic curves his fingers deeper into you, thrust his fingers knuckle deep into you and eliciting a louder moan from your lips. When you part your lips to make more noise, Medics hand around your jaw shifts, the doctor forcefully shoving his fingers into your mouth and pressing down on your tongue.

"Ich hätte nicht erwartet, dass du so laut bist."

He murmurs into your ear, withdrawing his fingers from your cunt and grinning wickedly when you whine from the loss of stimulation. Bastard. Though your whining comes to an end when you feel him yank down your pants and undoing his just as swiftly, shuddering as you feel his cock brush against your skin. Medic shoves his fingers deeper into your mouth, causing you to gag on the latex of his gloves while he pushes your head back against his shoulder. The doctor loops his other arm under your knee, forcing your thigh to press against your chest to give him easy access to your weeping core. He guides his cock to align with you dripping cunt, rubbing himself through your folds to create a makeshift lube before plunging deep into you, ignoring the gagged moan that drips from your lips at the burn and stretch of him within you.

Medic doesn't let you adjust, needlessly and roughly thrusting up into you and letting out faint pleasurable grunts while pressing down harder on your tongue with his fingers, not caring that some of the blood from his gloves is smearing onto your lips and your tongue, the copperish-iron taste making you gag further. Your body convulses beneath the doctor as he doesn't relent in his pace, the piston of his hips making you hiccup and stutter over your already barely formed words. Medic bites down on your neck again, sucking what you know is going to be a deep hickey later into your skin. At the sound of your muffled moans, Medic chuckles his usual dark chuckle into the skin of your throat, his grunts morphing into deep moans.

"So tight Schatz, I should've done this sooner."

The man grunts, a piece of his usually slicked back hair falling from its hold and brushing against the lens of his glasses. His thrusts start to stutter, turning his body and pushing you up against the wall of the closet to pound into you harder without abandon. The new pace and angle makes you weak in the knees, bracing yourself up against the wall as you moan and whimper while drooling over his fingers. Through the flutter of your walls, he knows your close, shifting his hold under your knee to position his fingers perfectly over your clit, rubbing harsh circles onto the sensitive bundle of nerves.

With the stimulation you feel the heated band growing in your belly snap, your hold against the wall becoming weak as you cum and squeeze him like a vice, the pressure pushing him over the edge too, making him paint the inside of your cunt with all he has. Medic thrusts harshly a few more times while nipping at you neck as the two of you come down from your highs.

Medic pulls out of you with a strangled grunt, withdrawing his fingers from your mouth and patting your cheek with a small chuckle as he helps you back into your pants, the sentiment coming off as odd but endearing all the same.

"You failed!"

Fuck. The Administrators voice rings out through the whole area of Teufort, signalling your loss against your mirror team. You turn to Medic and grimace, the two do you are definitely getting interrogated on where you were instead of helping. Surely you can come up with something convincing, right?

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

first request!!! i hope i did medic justice he was my og crush when my brother introduced me to tf2

[oldfriendsseniortwittersanctuary]

Should they be at the club: Mobile Suit Gundam '79

Amuro Ray

There is no character that should "be at the club" less than Amuro Ray. There is no way you could keep him in the club for more than 15 minutes. He's waiting outside the entire time, if he hasn't already called an uber. Do not bother.

Sayla Mass

Absolutely, yes. Let this girl tear up the dance floor. Heaven knows she deserves it.

Bright Noa

I am of the firm belief that the only thing that would fix this guy is a life-changing experience in the bathroom of a seedy club, so yes, for the love of God, take this man to the club.

Fraw Bow

If you take her she's going to get roped into being the designated driver, and that's just not fair to her. She does not want to be here. The club is not her natural habitat. Let her go home and catch up on her netflix backlog.

Kai Shiden

God, you know he'll down two virgin daiquiris, say the wrong thing to someone, and get punched the fuck out. Yes, he should be at the club.

Hayato Kobayashi

He'd be quiet for the most of the evening, until at the very end when he says something deeply unpleasant and out of pocket, just dragging the whole mood down. No, he should not be at the club.

Mirai Yashima

Hell yeah. She'd have a grand ol' time, just living it up. And when she gets drunk she'll be That Drunk Girl In the Bathroom. You know the one. She belongs in the club.

Ryu Jose

He's the one making sure everyone's doing all right, not getting into too much trouble, and making sure the people who are way too drunk get home OK. He must be at the club; this is non-negotiable.

Sleggar Law

He'd be a absolute pain in the ass, however he will also be watching over every girl like a hawk. The second he sees someone slip something in her drink or try to cop a feel, he will throw hands. Him being at the club is an unfortunate necessity.

Char Aznable

Contrary to popular belief, no, do not let this man within 100 feet of the club. His latent Causing Problems instinct would go into overdrive, and there's no telling what Problems he would cause by the end of the night.

Lalah Sune

She would just sit... and watch... until at which point she just walks up to a random stranger and says the most off-putting shit you've ever heard. She should be at the club.

Ramba Ral & Crowley Hamon

Moot question, they're already at the club, scouting for a third. They do this every other Saturday.

M'Quve

*insert the lyrics to How Soon Is Now*

Garma Zabi

I mean, he'd be fun enough to be around, I suppose, but you know by the end of the night he's going to hook up with some blond twink that looks suspiciously similar to a Certain Someone We Know and like... don't let him keep hurting himself like this, man.

Icelina Eschonbach

The only way you're getting her in the club is if she's with Garma, and she will watch him pick up that twink and not even register that anything is amiss. That's just sad. Don't take either one to the club, it would just be too hard to watch.

Degwin Zabi

Uh, the spirit is unwilling and the flesh is ever so weak. Probably a bad idea for him to be at the club.

Gihren Zabi

So he wouldn't, but God could you imagine? Ideally the second he starts ranting about Hitler is the second he gets knocked on his ass, but sadly no one would dare to do it. No, he should not be at the club.

Dozle Zabi

Oh yeah, totally. He'd be louder than the music and would not stop bragging, but those stories would be the wildest fucking stories you'd ever heard. He should be at the club for that alone. Also, he could easily be talked into buying everyone a drink.

Kycilia Zabi

She would scare the hoes and the bros. She should be at the club.

Cucuruz Doan

[Redacted]

Miharu Ratokie

She would somehow end the evening lying face down in a pool of her own blood. No one would know how she ended up this way. It is not much a question of whether she should be at the club as it is an inevitability. We cannot help but to repeat the cycles of tragedy.

[robin374]

I give you a little smooch on your forehead <3

I love your work so much it’s so good!!!!

If you’re taking reqs rn could we possibly get some fluff cuddling with sniper plz <33

Cuddling with Sniper

Notes: OML THANKSS, you just made my day better. I'm a bit stressed these days but reading your message was *ascends to heaven* Also, unedited, so there are probably grammar errors

Character: Sniper

My lovely wet cat man <3

I bet that in the first days of the relationship he would try to look like the man who doesn't need phisical affection. LIke he's a lonely alpha male.

Let's be honest Sniper, we all know you're touch starved.

That's why, one day he approached you and hugged you for more than 5 minutes. You were trying to speak to Demo, who was sitting next to you in the sofa, but Sniper clinging onto you like a cat wasn't helping. So you just accepted your fate.

I feel like he's that type of person that prefers hugs than kisses. So most of your cuddles will be him hugging you like a koala. I also like to think that he just tells you random fun facts about animals knowing that you're falling asleep. He did it so you would stay awake and talk to you.

"Did you know that dolphins are sexually atractted to humans?"

"How in the world do you know that?"

He's a very talkative man with those who feel close to. Yes, he's the most quiet man you've ever seen when you're in the base, but the moment you step inside his van or his house at Australia, he's talking your ear off. Mostly is talking shit about Spy or Scout, or the gossips he heard while faking being asleep.

He's surprisingly warm, he's like your personal blanket. You're cold while he's playing poker with the mercs? You are suddenly sitting on his lap watching him play, his hand on you waist. You're cold at night? You've got two blankets now, the one of his bed and him.

He just loves to hold you close, he is not used to have someone that loves him. He almost forgot how it was to be loved, but when you appeared and started giving him the love he deserved (and deserves) he felt something he thought he wouldn't feel again: Hapiness. Of course, the hapiness that his job gives him and the one that you give him aren't the same.

He loves you as much as there are spiders in Australia. So you can imagine; infinite.

[prettyboypistol]

I love ur mercs x male reader stuff sm!! Don't know if you still do request but if you do, can I ask for the mercs reacting to being courted/flirted on by a male reader?

TF2 x Male Reader- Reacting to Being Hit On!

Scout

Flustered AF, thinks you're joking/insulting him at first

You call him pretty boy, he fucking dies.

Red faced, he doesn't know what to do with his hands, can't meet your eyes, etc. Etc.

"Hey!"

"Hello there, sexy."

"ASKFHTJFKRK SHUT UP"

Tries to hit on you back, but as soon as you open your mouth he melts

"Whoa whoa, slow down prettyboy! What's the rush?" You hummed as Jeremy dashed past you. Almost immediately, the loud and ear-piercing skid of sneaker sole on tile rang through the hall. His arms locked up where they were.

"You talkin to me?" Scout shouts, a hell of a lot louder than he intended. You make a noise of agreement. He turned around to see you, leaned on a wall with a satisfied smile. A snicker could barely be heard as Sniper passed by made Jeremy squeak as his face flushed red.

"What's wrong Jeremy, are you shy?"

Unfortunately, he ran away faster after that, his face red and his body shaking.

Demoman

He'd be caught MAJORLY off guard

He assumes you're drunk

matches your energy bc it's funny

next morning he teases you about it, but you start doubling down

"So, you remember all those nasty things you said last night?"

"Yeah I do, and I remember a certain someone promising me them."

OH SHIT

OH SHIT OH FUCK

"Hey there handsome, you busy?" You asked as you sit beside Tavish. He laughed in turn, his head rocked back as the mug's content sloshed haphazardly.

"Well, if you're here, absolutely not!" He replied in a heartbeat with a mirrored smile.

You two spent the night drinking and had a friendly, fun time together. The morning after however, Tavish strolled up and quoted a particularly suggestive comment you made, to which you winked.

oh. Oh shit.

"Well, you gonna take me up on my offer or not?"

You could nearly see his heart pop out of his chest as he fumbled over a way to respond.

Soldier

doesn't get it

you have to grab that mf by the face and say "I FIND YOU ATTRACTIVE" for him to get the hint

even then he probably thinks its a compliment

RIP, good luck

Medic

He laughs and brushes you off

It's a joke to him- either if you are playing or if you would really hit on him

Medic is one of those people to say "alright, that's enough now" with a smile to you saying "rail me daddy"

He's always brushing you off, unless you're praising him. Then he's hanging off your every word with a prideful smirk and the most puffed chest he's ever had.

Medic will give you extra good care when you're injured, something more tender is there now.

Nobody ever sees that little glint in his eyes as he double checks that you are okay with a glance.

Medic never understood why you made his heart squeeze. Maybe it was a new type of heart burn? A type of non-lethal heart attack? It all eluded him. Then he caught your eye, and the fun really began.

"Helloooo Doctor!" You said, you intentionally dropped your voice as he walked by. He stopped in his tracks before quickly turning on his heel to see you again. Your eyes locked before you clicked your tongue and winked.

"That's quite enough now. I'm a very busy man, you know." Medic responded as he gently smacked your head. You seized the sudden opportunity to grasp his wrist with a sly smile.

"Oh, you must be so stressed then! Won't you let me help with that?"

"I- what? I'm starting to think you're not joking anymore."

Heavy

He deadass can't understand you.

Like, at all.

So, you learn a few Russian pick up lines and try your luck.

"Hey! Heavy! Vy horosho vygladite!"

Heavy thinks you are trying to make conversation but horribly failed.

Well, now you know a bit of Russian and a lot of pickup lines, but not much luck in your actual goal.

You two start hanging out casually and turns out he's not only hot but also surprisingly a cool guy.

You finally get the courage to say the obvious damned words to him, no matter how much your voice clams up at the thought of ruining your friendship.

"Hey Heavy! You were great out there!"

"Thank you!"

"Я тебя люблю!"

Heavy lets his head fall back in laughter. Obviously you were joking, right? Right?! He gently explained the meaning, but that didn't deter you.

"Я тебя люблю!"

Finally, finally! The man showed a kind of reception. His face flushed the slightest bit of pink.

Sniper

He'd probably insult you on reflex

This however, makes you live rent free in his head for days on end.

As soon as he finally evicts you from his mind, you do it again.

He wants to kill you, really, he does.

However, the more he thinks about you and your disgustingly stupid face, the more he turns red and chokes up in his head.

You already know he's not going to face you. Accept it.

Mundy avoids you like the repressed bisexual man he is.

After literally eating himself alive with nerves, he eventually flirts back in a mumble you can barely understand before walking away.

Mundy physically cannot function, let alone able to leave his camper after the stunt you pulled (AKA saying 'hello' in a slightly more sincere way than usual) for at least a week, which caused a lot of trouble for your supervisors and generals. You were avoided, glared at, and were obsessed over by the Aussie for longer than you could fathom.

Still, you persisted. Your subtle lip bites, your prolonged eye contact, you knew what you were doing and loved every second of it.

Finally though, he showed back up and gave you a charming wink and smile. You could have kissed that bitchy little man.

Pyro

homie good luck

you speak fluent pyro as you watch them interact with the world and the other mercs.

They mean well, but just... somewhere else, like a person in wonderland.

You desperately want to join them in their wonderland.

through little gifts and kindness, you try to let the door open, but nothing seems to work. the only thing you haven't done is tell them outright that you love them.

So, fuck it, why not try!

"Pyro, there's something I want to tell you.."

You tell them everything, especially the wonderland allegory.

Pyro just sits there and listens to you go on. You make a tad bit of an ass of yourself as you fidget and fluster yourself with nerves. Eventually though the torture of talking is over, and you wait for their response. They stand up and leave.

You nearly cry before they return with a little teacup.

Spy

Oh he makes you blush like a virgin all over again if he even caught you thinking about hitting on him.

He is a little off guard and amused at your actual attempt.

The response of Spy pinning you against the wall and murmuring the downright dirtiest of things into your ear that leaves you stunned and gay.

Spy suddenly is the recipient of many gifts over the next few weeks. Flowers. Chocolates. Unfettered access to high-powered people when he's on an espionage mission.

Spy returns the favor with looks of flirtatious intent that are meant for you only.

You finally wrack up the courage to give him a gift in-person. It started as a note slid under his door to meet his admirer behind the barracks at 11 PM. Well, he shows up looking too gorgeous to have been incidental.

The blush that overtakes your cheeks refuses to let you look him in the eye as you thrust the bouquet of flowers towards him.

"Mon espion, tu as assassiné mon coeur..." you barely squeak out, cursing yourself for every incorrect inflection on the strange grammar. Spy simply looks you up and down with an amused chuckle.

"Votre français est horrible, petit fleur."

Engineer

You remind him so much of younger him when he was courting a girl back in his schooldays.

Down to the foot fidgeting and sweating profusely as you tried to say the most basic of things, it was downright endearing.

Dell had never considered himself gay, he'd never even thought about another man romantically!

He gently lets you down, but in a way that leaves things horribly ambiguous.

"I'm flattered- really! I just never thought I'd be the one asked to go steady!"

"So- you want me too stop?" You ask.

Dell doesn't answer with anything but a shy smile.

Well, after a few more weeks of old-fashioned flirting and a gentlemanly air, Dell finally gives you an answer.

"Gee, you really are serious, aren't you? I mean, I guess I wouldn't mind- but could we keep it quiet? At least for a while?"

You of course agree.

"Can I hold your hand sometimes?"

Dell's face flares a scarlet.

[soimcoga]

"every major baddie problem in the lmk universe is caused by SWK not dealing with his shit properly"

exept he dealt with all the shit and i'm tired of people ignoring it to paint him as an ignorant, uncaring bastard.

(very very minor s4 spoilers, so the cut)

Demon Bull King? Got his ass whooped and was sealed away for however long years it took for an entire ass megapolis to be built literally on top of him, causing absolutely no trouble to anyone whatsoever. Oh, and what sealed DBK? The staff. And if you'd care to know SWK outside of the LEGOverse, you'd realize how strong was SWK's resolve to seal DBK - keep him relatively safe, one might say - by using his trusty staff. The guy would literally die seven times over than let go of this thing.

Also people like, ignore the fact that canonically SWK stuck around the area (for the most part to stalk MK, but still), so he was literally there to deal with the DBK family if something went southwards? He didn't, because MK was able to hold the staff and the legend of the Monkie Kid then began.

(also zero antagonistic feelings towards DBK from SWK, like, whatsoever. i bet the dude actually wanted DBK to be free, cuz he felt bad abt it)

Macaque? In a morally gray manner, still very dealt with. SWK killed the dude. He was literally as dealt with as it can be. Or what, should SWK have predicted that after thousand upon thousand of years later a spirit (he dealt with too) would pull Mac out of Diyu? Yeah, I'd like to see that thought process.

SWK isn't omnipotent, he isn't even that far-thinking. Never was, actually. So holding that against him is like, very stupid. Especially because you don't do it to any other character in the show. 

Spider Queen? Wouldja look at that, also pretty much dealt with. We don't really know how exactly, but we know that she lost literally every ounce of power she had and had to resort to living in the sewers, prolly never to cause troubles ever again because, well, we never even heard of her until the special. SQ was pulled onto the scene by the Lady Bone Demon.

Which is, again, something SWK couldn't predict even if he tried.

And now into the fun part.

Lady Bone Demon? Was sealed away by Tripitaka and also didn't cause any trouble until DBK decided to use this freaky coffin he knew literally zero things about for his plans.

"But he should've killed LBD!!!"

He tried. Believe him he tried. This decision just wasn't his, and if you hold it against him and not Tripitaka, shame on you.

"He should have told the crew about LBD!"

He really couldn't have.

And people thinking that are blatantly ignoring SWK's character. Not that obnoxious fan favorite uncaring bastard one.

SWK deals with things on his own. That is just how he is, how he always was and he never learned to do it the other way around. If that's a fight, he'll do it, because he's damn strong. If it's to scout the mountain, he'll do it, because Bajie is a lazy ass motherfucker. If it's to find food for Trip, he'll do it, cuz he's fast and his eyes are awesome.

Same applies here.

LBD? Tried to kill her and Trip didn't let me -> Basically I didn't do the job right -> WTF I always do my job right, I am Sun Wukong hello???

It was, dare I say, a question to his pride, and SWK will forever be prideful. And when he acts on his pride, he does it with style and flare, in the most stupid way possible.

Hence all of the s2 off-screen investigation arc.

"Well, he should've told about the Samadhi rings!"

It would've endangered Mei, questioned his at this point in time very shaky authority and ability to handle shit, and prolly would've fucked Mei up a very whole lot.

You don't go and say to a person that they are a part of the most dangerous seal in the world and could die and destroy everything they love because you fucked up long time ago (again, very much jabbing at his mentality of 'Sun Wukong can do no bad job, and if he does he'll better fucking die trying to make it right').

Was his plan a shitty one? Obviously. Like, no question asked, it was a shit show of a plan. Very in character, though (SWK handles all the shit because he thinks he can).

And this little character arc of SWK not learning a damn thing results in him, oh golly you would not believe it, running off to do things on his own because he thinks he can handle it, because he's THE Sun Wukong who already handled this in the past.

Who woulda thought.

MINOR S4 SPOILERS START HERE

And the new addition to the baddie group, Azure Lion. Won't be addressing all 'SWK is a betraying bitch' because the show refuses to give us SWK's perspective and I hate it.

But you already know what I will say, because you know the truth. He was dealt with. Got his ass whooped and sealed away in the inky scroll. To be pulled back onto the scene by a third party that Wukong literally couldn't have known about.

See a pattern?

SWK deals with the shit, some unknown variable meddles in it, suddenly SWK is an incapable asshole who left the problems for the poor lmk crew to deal with.

MINOR S4 SPOILERS END HERE

Wukong did his job. Someone fucked him over by undoing his job. He tried to deal with it again the only way he knows how, but the solo play doesn't fly anymore, so he made it kinda worse.

He's not an unbearable, incapable asshole because of it.

And I'm tired of people not seeing this.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk, I am Sun Wukong Apologist till the day I die.

Have a nice day!

[friendlyengie]

I would love to hear ur hcs about the mercs sleeping habits (including ur OCs ofc)

ive always wanted To draw something for this but ive never had the like. Idea to do it in a way that would land the punchline. But basically on their days off I think Engineer is up until sunrise and Demo sleeps until sunrise and they sometimes catch each other in the middle but otherwise they wont see each other until theyre forced to start waking up at the same time again for work.

Anyways . Specifics. Hm.

Medic- trying to write this out for him I’m torn between “despite the way he is, Medic’s sleep schedule is shockingly consistent” and “he surgically removed the need for sleep out of his brain when joining Mann Co. and now sleep is like a recreational activity for him.” I genuinely think it could go either way.

Sniper- sleeps a solid 8 hours and still manages to pass out standing up during mission briefings. I don’t think his sleep is particularly pleasant, easily startled due to spy anxiety. But during his inappropriately timed naps? He could sleep through the base exploding probably.

Scout- Shockingly well put together morning person if he gets to sleep on time. Usually the second person up after Soldier to go on a morning run and shit. But if his sleep schedule is thrown an hour off track it all goes out the window. Drag his out of bed and he goes right to the couch and back to bed.

Heavy- With the way he lived growing up I could see him really having trouble with sleeping. Not easily startled, but very restless. Type of guy to occasionally have a “Something is Very Wrong” instinct kick in at 3 am and is perfectly aware that trying to get back to bed afterwards is a lost cause, so he’s learned to commit and has a handful of things that he does to pass the time instead.

Engineer- great at giving well thought out advice on why sleep is important, follows it unless he doesn’t. Celebrates his ability to keep himself on a good sleep schedule for a few weeks by letting himself go multiple days with no sleep if he feels like it’ll be “useful” for whatever he’s working on. Started to cap himself off at a 72 hour maximum after a 5-day streak resulted in the genius decision making that went into getting drunk and lobbing off his hand (And then remembering he probably should’ve had Medic around, or a proper gunslinger prototype built before doing so.)

Pyro- probably sleeps but always seems strangely and immediately attentive if you go to wake them up.

Demoman- respects his sleep schedule and expects you to as well. Fuck your all nighters, he knows how comfortable his bed is and he’s taking it. Hours vary depending on how much he’s been drinking, which will also determine how well he participates in the “guy who can just kind of fall asleep anywhere” club.

Spy- I feel like the only thing worse than sleep paranoia about spies is being a Spy trying to have a proper sleep schedule. Less as a result of his current job and more as a result of the many jobs hes taken in the past, I’d think Spy’s developed serious paranoia to letting his guard down in most regards, sleep included. Smoking supposedly “helped” the issue way in the beginning, most definitely just exasperates the issue now. Usually walks around the base with clear intent as to not be heard by anyone, so he’s probably got most of them convinced he sleeps pretty routinely.

Soldier- Consistently, on the dot, like clockwork. Not always the first to bed, but always the first to wake up. Wouldn’t wake up if you launched a bomb through his window but if you tried to gently nudge him to wake him up he would attack you like an enemy combatant and now you have to fight him and win.

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

what instruments would the mercs play? i know medic does violin and accordion, and sniper plays saxophone, but what about the others?

————————————————————

What Instruments Do The TF2 Mercs Play? (Minus Medic and Sniper!)

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I love this! Music is so fun, so um, shout out to all my friends who love music or play music. You guys are cool! Also uh, mentions of relationship but not exactly ship content?

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Demo plays bagpipes, not because of any of the obvious reasons. Oh no, he does it purely to piss people off! Tell him to stop, and he'll rant about his heritage. The other mercs just don't understand how important my heritage is to him! He literally has to play the bagpipes at 6:32 am. because otherwise, he will lose any sense of his identity. He's actually gotten really good at it. The other mercs can't really tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

————————————————————

Hey, we know Engie is great on the guitar, but did you know he also kills on the harmonica? He loves to play the blues and slow songs. He just likes to play something easy and fun. He also just likes to make up his own songs. It's just something he really likes. He plays songs for Pyro sometimes, and Pyro can weirdly harmonize with the harmonica. It's unsettling, but Engie finds it charming.

————————————————————

Heavy loves to play the piano, Medic actually taught him how to play it! He had always had an interest in the piano. His mother probably played it a lot when he was a child, and it always fascinated him, but his mom didn't let him touch it. She was always worried about it breaking. When he found out Medic had a piano, he asked him about it, and Medic offered to teach him. He's even allowed in the lab when Medic isn't there to practice. He's a fan of Beethoven, and you can hear it from the lab at odd hours.

————————————————————

Scout is a machine on the drums. I honestly think he's great on any instrument. I think he can focus really well on anything with music. It's one of his huge passions. He just doesn't really talk about it too much. He's really into fast-paced songs, and he would definitely be one of the types to be violently head banging while playing the drums. He wants to be in a band so bad!

————————————————————

Spy, like Medic, is a fan of the violin! He feels so classy playing it. My man plays the saddest music you've ever heard. I swear he's broken at least two violins from the amount of stress he's transferred to them. He may or may not have learned the into to Toxic, but he would never admit that. He actually probably has a large repertoire of songs that are either pop or sad songs.

————————————————————

Soldier plays the trumpet, and oh my god, if he and Demo team up, the other mercs have to use all their willpower to not kill them both. He mainly learned it to play that one wake-up song and all other generally army-ish songs. Honestly, he'd be really good at most instruments, but he's not too interested. Has this deep love for the trumpet thats not going away.

————————————————————

Pyro plays the Otamatone, and I will die on this hill. They have at least a million songs in their mind at all times. Most of them are video games songs that Scout suggested. But they also learned how to play Funky Town and a few other silly songs. They also really like how cute it is! They have multiple different versions and colors. It's one of their favorite things ever.

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Um, sorry it's kind of short, i hope you guys like it. I'm very tired right now and hope this isn't absolute shit!

[r0semultiverse]

hey just letting you know that cheavy/tf2heritageposts is saying a whole bunch of horrible shit about you because of your comments on @scouts-cosplays's posts in his public discord btw

i would send images but i have to use anon to protect myself from him

Oh my comments about me supporting my friend? A complete stranger taking offense to that would be rather odd as I have no quarrel with him. How about you come off anon in my direct messages or in @scouts-cosplays messages and we can sort this out personally. Wouldn't you agree that it's suspicious to make such claims and simply not elaborate whatsoever and to not provide any proof? This is drama revolving around multiple trans people; so, I am of the mind that you might be stoking flames and trying to rope me into some shit I have no interest in and trying to make the trans people fight one another for your own amusement. I'm a grown adult whose too tired for this "he said she said" thing; so, come off anon or you have no case. Even then, I've had people say far worse things to my face online & IRL than he ever could if he is at all saying anything and you are actually to be believed.

I really don't have any stakes in this, I just want to be there for my friend, that is all.

Also Cheavy and I literally don't know each other so that would be pretty ridiculous.

It just seems like to me that you are probably a keyboard warrior trying to stoke up flames for the sake of tossing irons in the fire so you can watch a conflict escalate between two strangers that have (to my knowledge) never interacted, but again our inboxes are open and you are free to politely come and prove me wrong.

Message @scouts-cosplays or me and we won't out you or whatever, but I highly doubt you will as this seems quite odd and out of nowhere for a stranger I don't know at all even at a parasocial level to do that, but I've been online for quite some time; so, nothing is impossible I guess.

Also, believe me, I'm well aware things can be edited and generated super realistically these days and that goes for literally anything, AI or editing software. Be critical of what you consume folks! As far as I'm aware, this might be someone trying to get people to send hate towards Cheavy or trying to bait me into fighting him and I just won't have it. Too tired for it. That's literally just some random guy I don't even know. Oh no, one person on the internet is supposedly displeased with me and talking mad shit? I'm an openly trans creator online, believe me I've seen it and heard it all. I stream on twitch and I make Youtube videos, trust me I know. That being said, if this is legitimate then I'm curious, but I will only accept any sort of proof off anon.

Like, what is he gonna say about me? I'm Scout's friend so I'm a terrible person (an opinion)? My style is wack (subjective)? My upload schedule is atrocious (what upload schedule)? I haven't streamed in probably over a year and Rose when the fuck are you gonna fix your broken laptops? He literally doesn't know me in any capacity, something ain't adding up here, y'know? Is it constructive criticism? Are we appearance shaming? I love myself and my partners and special friend love me too, I'm good. I just don't know what he would be working with material wise when we are two strangers who know fuck all about each other. That's what's most suspect about all of this.

[cbsxreader]

could i please have the mercs x an s/o who is, for one reason or another, logged into the respawn system and occasionally abuses the privilege? because lets be real, killing yourself and then coming right back would be the most cathartic thing ever

I was so confused at first because english isn't my first language and I didn't know what cathartic meant lol

Also, I think all mercs wouldn’t mind at first, but would become concerned afterwards

NSFW (death)

Mercs with an S/o who is logged into the respawn system

Scout

Scout immediately thinks it's super cool that his S/o can respawn too.

They then proceed to do the craziest shit together, before Engie tells Scout off.

Scout being Scout, he ignored the Engineer's warnings.

Though all it takes is one time when his S/o took longer to respawn to make him worried.

Soldier

He's excited to teach his S/o rocket jumping when he first finds out about them being able to come back from the dead.

But as soon as Engie or any of the other mercs find out and inform Soldier about the situation.

He's confused at first, since the team respawns well enough, so why wouldn't his S/o be okay?

Soldier does become more careful though, advising his S/o to not abuse their privilege too much, but he still secretly lets them do risky stuff.

Pyro

They have no clue of any consequences regarding their S/o's situation until Engie tells them about it.

The next time his S/o tries to off themselves, they stop them just in time, quickly mumbling and expressing their concern.

They might let their S/o die once or twice every once in a while, but always makes sure their S/o is alright.

Demoman

He's worried about his S/o being 'allowed' to access the respawn system, but lets go of the thought once his S/o says that it's okay.

Demo would also let his S/o endanger themselves, but as soon as Engie mentions the risks, he changes his mind.

If his S/o wants to do something dangerous, he'll check in with Engie first to make sure everything is in order.

Engineer

Constantly asks his S/o to be careful and not die, because he knows that the respawn machine can fumble a bit sometimes.

His S/o might be able to convince him to let them die, but only like two or three times.

Engie might try to log his S/o off the system, but if his S/o really wants to keep their ability he'll just make sure they have better chances of always coming back.

Heavy

He may not know much about the actual respawn system, but from what he's heard, it's nothing to be tempered with.

And that worries him a lot. Both that his S/o believes too much in the respawn system and that he doesn't know how it works.

Heavy lets his S/o die every once in a while, but still expresses his worry for them and their health and life. And it's his best feeling when he can convince his S/o to not do it.

Medic

This man straight up researches his S/o's heritage, trying to find anyone who might be responsible for putting them in the respawn system. Maybe, someone rich made a secret deal with the administrator to make them respawn?

If there's really no reason for his S/o to be in the respawn system then he takes it up to Engie, asking if it's safe.

This man shamelessly asks his S/o, if he can do some really risky experiments on them.

That way he sort of makes sure they don't die completely.

Sniper

Once he found out his S/o could respawn, he, like the other mercs, told Engineer.

Sniper lets his S/o die a few times, until he starts to feel drained every time they kill themselves.

He figures out it was reminding him too much of his past, his parents and his own death, and that's when he starts to get worried.

If his S/o doesn't stop what they're doing, he might convince them to stop abusing the ability.

Spy

Spy says he won't tell Engie and let his S/o die whenever they want but he does tell Engie in secret.

He might let his S/o try risky stuff, but still makes sure they're gonna be okay.

Ms. Pauling

Once she finds out, she immediately tells the Administrator and Engie and her S/o doesn't get to kill themselves anymore.

Simple as that.

Ms. Pauling straight up hires people to monitor her S/o, so they don't even try anything risky.

I'm sorry for the wait, anon! I just hadn't been really motivated to finish this post!

[draconicfool]

these are headcanons that have to do specifically with the event and why Eros was on the Luofu in general. I'm also tagging @starspurn cuz these were bounced off her and directly involve her interpretation of Luka! Under the cut cuz spoilies. They got so long because the event gave me a lot of just basic ideas as well as little bits just based on what I thought Eros' reactions to things would be

When we see Luka at the venue, Eros is just sort of standing on his tip toes and looking over his shoulder, they cannot be separated don't ask them to be. They literally would've whined if they had been

When Luka's in the clinic talking to Nat, you know who's there? That's right, it's the bestie, just nodding along in the background but he gives a chaste reminder to 'Not push too hard just to be the first Belobogian to enter a competition in space'

He's also standing there with Hook and Oleg giving Luka a pep talk even if he's most just sitting there with his hand over his mouth trying not to laugh at Hook, but he pats her head and gives Luka yet another reminder in tandem with Oleg that Gepard is tougher than the usual tricks and how he won't forgive Luka if he hurts himself just to win. Plus he assures that he'll be proud of him either way

As soon as that match was over you bet your ass Eros was checking him over just to double triple quadruple check that he was okay

The homie encourages all the IPC hate, he fucking hates the IPC thank you Luka for also hating IPC, they talk shit about them with each other

Eros really insisted on coming along, not just to look after the younger kids which he's so fond of, but to look after Luka. And- it's really for the best because Kit and I talked about how these losers whine the second they're separated from each other, so everyone should be grateful they didn't have to hear it

He also absolutely has just been 'playing human' and offered zero advice to Luka on how to deal with the long-life species of the Xianzhou. He's been acting just as clueless but he's laughed every time something happened to him. Especially when he called that vidyadhara a little girl

Before the tournament, Eros did some scouting around the Luofu to make sure that things would be safe- mostly for him to keep his identity concealed which is how he ended up seeing the Borisin, but he more or less just darted back to Luka's side at that. As he isn't a member of the Xianzhou anymore, their problems aren't his problems, and he'd rather be with the people of Belobog- that's his home after all

Unlike Luka, Eros makes no effort to hide his disdain for the IPC. Miss Carmella is nice and all but Eros won't forget so easily how their home was nearly turned into an asset and the whole of the people of Belobog were nearly birds in cages

The only person the tabloid journalist doesn't ask about being in a relationship with Luka is Eros which is really funny considering they're attached at the hip constantly

While Eros is loathe to get help from the Alchemy Commission, he admits that mental maladies are not his strong suit

Eros and Lingsha sort of 'exchange looks' but neither really says anything. After all, Eros is there to support Luka and make sure he's safe! Not stir up trouble on the Luofu

He absolutely would rub Luka's back after the Igor data they got bc he can tell that man is stressing holy shit

'Walk the streets alone a couple more times' as if Eros doesn't hold his hand and go with him the entire time do not separate them

He was also absolutely judging him when Yanqing said 'as a warrior I guess I'm always challenging myself' and Luka didn't realize that meant- that Yanqing was the kid they were talking to so he just standing there fucking staring at him

Eros is very obviously frustrated by the rumors that start circulating about Luka and has to be sort of held back. You've heard of scary dog privilege? Luka has a little Pomeranian that will bite issues for him

After the Boothill fight, Eros was absolutely fretting over him and more than grateful that all that got damaged was Luka's arm. Aeons know he would've torn that Galaxy Ranger to bits if he hurt Luka!

Even Eros is asked to leave when Luka wants to be alone for awhile which- is a big twist which leaves Eros a bit lost on what to do, they're attached at the hip after all! So he takes the time to hang out with Hook and Svarog for a bit. As much as he doesn't want to leave Luka at a time like this, he gets that he doesn't want to be around people right now.

Kit and i agreed it'd be super cute and super gay if during Tail being in Luka's mind there was also a section where we see a little Eros patching Luka up like "So maybe t'day- was a bad day, but tha's okay. I'll pick ya back up, mhm. Cuz y'er m'best friend!" and then we get the black transition where it's them older and it's like "C'mon, country bumpkin, let's get ya up. How am I s'pposed t' patch up m'favorite man in th' world if he ain't gettin' back up? Need t' lean on me? Tha's okay… I'll carry ya 'til y'c'n stand on y'er own two feet" and how that more or less is a little drive forward. That's "one of the smaller voices that matters" is his best friend since the day they met.

On the topic of Margie, I'm making an assumption that she was alive while Alexi was also alive, meaning that during the time Eros was more or less extremely against using his magic, even though he knew it would've helped her- he knew too that saving a life wasn't worth taking another when there was no way off of Belobog and he blames himself quite a bit for not doing enough for her

He's of course, very proud of Luka when he does agree to try again and cheers him on the whole way. Not that he's ever stopped, but he's proud that Luka was able to pick himself back up and even teases him about it, saying 'usually s'me pickin' ya up and patchin' ya up... went and did m'job f'er me~'

Eros, while afraid of Borisin, sympathizes with Samatha and the Borisin of the Clartewheel temple. Fighting against their nature and wanting peace despite what they are and despite how the rest of the galaxy sees them as monsters. It's something Eros understands all too well

He thought it was very funny when Svarog turned out to be the Independent Contestant, but it wasn't really a surprise given he'd spent that last bit of time with Hook, and by extension, Svarog. Besides, Eros and Boss Svarog have a good working relationship! Of course he wouldn't be kept in the dark about it.

This one is shipverse specific Eros absolutely ran up gave Luka the biggest hug and kiss when he beat Svarog, that's his bestie ! He knew he could do it! Also maybe this is where the feelings are finally actually realized? Who's to say

Luka gets another 'no time with Eros' moment when Boothill takes him to the teahouse. He dishes the hot goss and tea with the Trailblazer and Carmella, dishes all the dirt. The girls are talking shit ! Not about Luka just in general

When Luka returns he'd get another cute little pep talk from Eros of 'win or lose, jus' know 'm proud of ya... but y'er gonna win! I jus' know it!'

Needless to say Eros is very proud of Luka for even getting that far, not that he didn't believe in him, but all the same

I do think that based on timeline things that Eros would've gone to see the Luofu wardance back 700 years ago because he would've been younger and I think he would've found Igor interesting and inspiring. Especially because he was someone who wanted desperately to help his own people, he regretted that there wasn't a way for the alliance to help them. I think that in a way Eros has always seen a glimmer of Igor in Luka and that subconsciously that was part of what drove him to actually approach him that day they met. I don't think he's aware that the recognition was part of it, but I think he's glad in a way that it was a man he too ended up idolizing that brought them together.

With the trade agreement Eros has to be a bit more careful about the use of his magic and making sure that he doesn't accidentally blow his cover. Not that he's done anything before now outside of revealing himself to the Astral Express, but he's definitely a bit more aware of himself

Eros gets a Tuskpir of his own with the help of Lingsha, he names her Hypnos and even makes her a cute little corner of the clinic where she can relax and play, and at the end of the day she sleeps curled up in bed with him

[uncannysam]

PARTIES: @magmahearts, @uncannysam TIMING: Early December SUMMARY: What's supposed to be a fun hangout sesh turns serious when Sam shocks Cass with a secret she's been harboring. WARNINGS: grief tw

If it was one thing that had become valuable since Zach’s death, it was spending time with the other friends that Sam had made over the years, and even more recent friends, like Cass. And the planned get together had given her something to look forward to all week. Of course, anything that was related to comics and cosplay had been right up Sam’s alley as well, even though she had promised she wouldn’t take part in the sewing of her friend’s new Marvels costume she was working on, but Sam would put her hot glue gun skills to use.

With her apartment looking cleaner than it had in weeks, and Scout laying curled up on the couch, Sam was ready for her company. The only thing that might have been a bit of an issue was her lack of sleep and the rambling that had seemed to come from her brain going a hundred miles per hour, but that was okay right? As long as her foot didn’t live in her mouth like it normally did, Sam would be okay. But that was also banking on the fact that the weird shit that had been happening to the twenty-eight year old lately wouldn’t bleed over into their hanging out time tonight.

—

Getting to talk comics with people was always exciting. With most of her friends, Cass was very much in the process of converting them to her various fandoms. Some, like Milo, were already as deep in the world of superheroes as Cass herself, but others were just getting into it. She’d given Alex and Aria recommendation lists about as long as her arm, and waited with excitement for them to finish each issue. Even then, she wanted more. Sam was someone who could provide her with that. The two had a lot of shared interests. It meant that, when they were together, there was scarcely a moment of silence between them, each breath filled with rambling discussions on the latest issues or casting news.

So she was excited as she made her way to the door of Sam’s apartment, practically skipping over. She rapped her knuckles against the wood rhythmically, settling back on her heels as she waited for the door to swing open. When it did, she wasted no time, preferring to launch into discussion immediately. “So, I’m thinking bright colors. The movie was great, but I’m not big on how muted everything is in those movies, you know? Like, comic books are so colorful, and the movies are like ‘oh, no, it would be silly if our people who fly around and shoot lasers out of their hands are wearing bright red! It would —” She cut herself off, noting the odd look on Sam’s face. “Hey, are you good?”

—

When Sam heard the knock on the door, she knew it was go time. Her hot glue gun was going to get some use, but even better, having someone to hang out with again wouldn’t make things seem so quiet and lonely in her apartment. Sure, Scout was a great companion, but he couldn’t talk – at least she didn’t think he could. She wasn’t really quite sure anymore, but that's besides the point. Though she couldn’t help but glance down at him as the thought briefly crossed her mind, No. Don’t even go there, Sam.

As she shook the thought from her mind, she moved to the door and pulled it open with a smile, but the smile quickly faltered when she saw what looked to be a talking pile of rock standing in front of her. Which must have been pretty damn obvious, because when Cass – if this was even Cass – had commented, she blinked a few times and forced an uneasy smile on her face, “Uh, I…I thought we were doing The Marvels cosplay…not The Thing from Fantastic Four. But hey! If that’s what you’re currently vibing with…” Sam had completely ignored all the stuff Cass had been saying as she opened the door. I’m losing my mind. I’m losing my fucking mind. That’s what this has to be…

—

Sam was still looking at her strangely, and Cass took a moment to glance down at her outfit. Maybe she’d done a poor job washing her clothes. She’d been using the washer and dryer at Alex’s cabin instead of the stream lately, but the last time she’d cleaned this particular outfit, she was pretty sure she’d done it in the cave. Had she missed something? Maybe it was ripped? But, no — it looked fine. Clean, normal. So why was Sam staring at her?

The question, too, was perplexing. “Uh… I don’t even know how you’d cosplay the Thing? I mean, styrofoam, I guess? But I’d need to be a lot taller to really sell it, and I don’t really want to commit to all that right now. I’d rather just do the Marvels?” Why was Sam bringing up the Thing? In a moment of panic, Cass wondered if her glamour was unstable, but… She’d feel that, wouldn’t she? It took concentration to hold it up, sure, but it wasn’t as if her concentration could fall enough to be noticeable without her being somewhat aware of it. “Sam, are you okay? You’re not making a ton of sense.”

—

The look on Cass’s face had left Sam even more confused. Is this some kind of joke? Cass didn’t seem the type, but Sam had only known her a couple of months. Still she couldn’t help, but cock her head to the side and raise an eyebrow. Moving forward she even reached out to touch Cass on the cheek. It was legit rock. Firm and not giving when the twenty-eight year old pressed in on it, “If that’s styrofoam…How did you make it so hard?” This didn’t make sense. And as rude as Sam was being right now, she couldn’t get past Cass’s firm rocky exterior.

Hearing a couple of barks from Scout is what had seemed to snap her out of the trance she was in and also made her realize how close she had become to her friend, “Okay, I’m, wow, I’m really sorry. I just, uh…I wasn’t sure if this was a joke or…I mean, it looks great. The rocks look super realistic. You must have worked months on this.” Sam had completely ignored what Cass had said about making a Marvels costume, “I’m being rude though. Come in.” Her mind didn’t want to believe what she was seeing. She wanted it to be a costume, and that’s what she had defaulted too until Cass said otherwise.

—

Sam touched her, and Cass pulled back uncertainly. The glamour was only a visual thing, she knew; beneath it, she was always what she was. She’d come up with a few lies here and there over the years — a skin condition, a need for more lotion, all kinds of things — but with Sam already asking questions she didn’t particularly want to answer… She swallowed nervously, eyes darting down to her body again. The glamour was there, so why wasn’t it working? Nora saw through it, but Nora had always seen through it. Sam, as far as she knew, hadn’t. If she had, she would have said something before now, right? 

“I — I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Was that sick feeling in her stomach because of the lie or the nerves? Maybe it was both; a tag-team of nausea delivering a brutal punch. Cass took a step back. “Sam, seriously, you’re freaking me out.” Not a lie. “I didn’t — I’m not wearing any costume.” Not a lie. “What are you talking about? Please tell me. Please. I don’t — I don’t understand.” Definitely not a lie. 

—

Sam had felt horrible for touching Cass, and when her friend further explained about being freaked out, the twenty-eight year old stammered, “I - Uh…I’m…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you. I just…Why do you keep saying you don’t understand?” Now, she was starting to panic. Was this real? Did Cass really have rocks all over her body? She had to by the way she was denying everything Sam had said. Unless, Sam really was losing her mind. The only thing she could do would be to actually straighten this out and have a discussion. That or slam the door in the girl’s face and never come out ever again. And as much as she wanted to go with the second option, she knew she couldn’t.

“Cass, please come in…We need to talk. I need to figure this out…I…” Sam was trying not to let tears come to her eyes, but the realization of the whole thing was freaking her out and now, with Scout barking, it seemed as if he was confirming what Sam knew was true in the back of her mind, despite how much she wanted to deny it and hope it wasn’t. But she wasn’t about to have a discussion about being made of rock, in the hallway, even if nobody was around at the moment.

—

“Because I don’t understand,” Cass repeated, a little bit of frustration bubbling up. Her glamour was there. It was in effect, it was hiding her from view. So why was Sam giving her the same look Kuma had when she’d stumbled upon the oread without it? The confusion, the fear… Cass felt a panic gripping her chest, constricting her lungs. If her glamour was messed up somehow and she didn’t know it, no one would want to be around her anymore. No one would want to be her friend, no one would like her.

She took another step back, still uncertain. “Figure what out, Sam? I — I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Nausea rose up, her stomach churning. Was it because she was lying? She didn’t know. She didn’t know if she was lying or not. “I’m not coming in until you tell me what’s going on. I don’t understand what’s happening.”

—

It was like they were talking in circles. Sam didn’t understand what was going on with Cass and Cass didn’t understand what was going on with Sam. It was frustrating to say the least, and she was starting to hear it in Cass’ voice. If Cass said she wasn’t wearing a costume, then this meant that she was like the other things Sam had seen around town. The unexplained that always seemed to occur after little sleep. How did she explain that to someone who swore up and down that they weren’t in a costume and believed they were normal? She had always seen Cass as just a human. Nothing strange, except for maybe her taste in comics sometimes. But then, would Cass think Sam was losing her mind if she told her what she had been experiencing lately? And did Cass know she was covered in rocks? Someone was going to have to give in, and by the looks of things, it was going to have to be Sam.

“Fine. But as soon as I tell you, you have to come in. I haven’t told anyone this…ever, and I’m not about to start with any of my nosey ass neighbors.” Sam took a deep breath trying to find the words that sounded the least…ridiculous. Looking at the ground, she took in a deep breath and let out a long slow sigh, before looking back up at Cass, “So a few months ago I saw something really bad happen to my best friend, and I started going to see somebody about what I saw, and I thought that everything was good, right? But I started having nightmares again and started, pretty much, not sleeping. Well since then if I don’t get enough sleep, I start seeing weird shit. Like people with horns and wings, and now, you…with the rocks. It’s like my comic book obsession has come to life, and I don’t know what to do about it…” She knew Cass was probably going to turn around and run, but there it was. The truth. “Please, don’t say anything to anyone…” Sam stammered before looking down and kicking at the floor embarrassed.

—

“Deal.” It was an easy enough bind to agree to; after all, Cass wanted to know what Sam was talking just as badly as Sam wanted her to come inside. The best deals, Cass knew, were the ones where everyone involved got something out of the agreement. But even knowing that, there was some part of her that would always prefer the deals where she was the one getting more. It was selfish and meanspirited, but that was her, sometimes, no matter how well she hid it. She was getting the better deal here, too. Stepping inside an apartment was easy. Telling someone something you’d never told anyone else? That was a lot more complicated.

As Sam spoke, Cass listened. She felt a mixture of different things: sympathy for what Sam must have seen happen to her friend, understanding for the nightmares that had followed, curiosity for what the lack of sleep had done to her, relief that her glamour wasn’t failing. She ducked into the apartment, taking a deep breath and motioning for Sam to shut the door. “I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice, shifting her weight. “I wasn’t — Um, I wasn’t totally honest with you. About the rocks. I can — I can tell you, but… I mean, I’m gonna sound crazy, so…”

—

A wave of relief seemed to wash over Sam when Cass agreed to step inside, but she still didn’t feel any better about the revelation of her big secret coming out. However, she shut the door and made her way over to the couch to sit down. If Cass wanted to follow, she could, but so many questions were popping up in her mind. Would Cass break the couch? Was it comfortable being rocks all the time? Was any of this actually real or was she just stuck in some nightmare of a former life she once knew? All questions she wanted to ask, but felt ashamed to, “You’re more than welcome to sit wherever. Do you…want anything to drink or?” Do human rocks need water?

Sam didn’t want to outright admit that she was a bit nervous. Never had she invited anyone that wasn’t strictly human. At least to her current knowledge. That could have all been a lie. At this point she was starting to wonder if Zach had been lying to her… “So…you’re telling me, you…are covered in rocks right now? I’m not just seeing things because I’m tired?” Sam let a yawn escape her lips at the word tired. A bad habit that had started to pop up in her life, since all of this started, “Sorry.” She yawned again, covering her mouth and blinking a few times, before setting her eyes on Cass again.

—

Already, Sam was looking at her differently. Cass could feel it. She thought of Kuma, of the way her attitude towards Cass had changed so quickly the moment she saw her without the glamour. Sam wasn’t screaming, wasn’t demanding that Cass leave, but she was looking at her differently and it hurt just a little, so she shrugged. “I’m okay.” She didn’t want to be a burden, didn’t want to give Sam any more excuses to hate her. It was funny — she’d met so many people in this town that thought nothing of her glamour that it felt strange to meet someone who considered it strange at all. She longed for the underreactions of her friends now, or for Alex, who thought it was a thing of beauty. 

She shifted her weight a bit, shaking her head. “Well, it isn’t… I’m not covered in rocks. It’s more like… I am the rocks. And it’s not just right now. It’s all the time. I don’t know why you can see it right now. You shouldn’t be able to. I have a — it’s called a glamour. It makes me look more… um… human. Because I’m not. Human.” She glanced up just in time to see Sam yawn. “Are you okay? You seem… really tired.”

—

Not human? Cass is actually made of rocks? Sam was so confused. Comic books had been one thing, but all she had experienced within the past few months had been more than nerve-wracking. She couldn’t quite put her finger on any of this. Why was this happening to her of all people, but regardless, at least it hadn’t been Deer Lady sitting in front of her asking her to pay her debts for being bad, “Does…Does it hurt? I mean being rocks?” She didn’t know what she was saying. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ve just...There are stories that my family has passed down, but none of rock people or half of the other types of people I’ve seen walking around Wicked’s Rest since this…thing happened. I don’t know whether to call it a gift or a curse.”

Sam squeezed her tired eyes shut for a moment, before looking back over at Cass. “I’m sorry if I seem judgemental. I don’t mean to be, but I’ve just never experienced this before, and all of this happened so fast…And what do you mean you’re not human?” She paused for a moment, “If I don’t sleep, I can see through, what did you call them? Glamours?” She sighed, “Aka…I’m afraid to go to sleep…Afraid that what got my friend, might come for me too or worse…Deer Lady…”

—

Did it hurt? No one had ever asked her that before. The question confused her a little, and that confusion was written clearly on the oread’s face. “Not any more than it hurts you to not be rocks, I guess?” There were probably ways of being that did ache a little, but Cass didn’t think hers did. The things that hurt her were outside forces. Not what she was, but other people’s reactions to it. “What… kind of stories do you have?” Maybe she could find some explanation that fit in with what Sam already knew, some way of explaining things that would slot nicely into her existing worldview. If nothing else, at least it would help her to know that Cass wasn’t nuts or anything like that.

“I’m fae,” she replied. “A nymph. An oread, to be, like, super specific. A rock nymph. Or, um, technically a volcano nymph, in my case.” How many times had she explained this now? She was starting to lose track. It never got any easier, especially if the person she was explaining it to wasn’t someone who already knew what a fae was. “What do you mean by that? What… got your friend? And who’s Deer Lady?”

—

Cass’s answer made sense. Sam didn’t physically hurt as a human unless she was injured or sick, which almost led her to her next question, but she refrained. She could see the hurt on the girl’s face. This had definitely not gone like it should have. They were supposed to just be working on a cosplay together. Not discussing what Cass actually was or that Sam could see the truth of what people really were, “That makes sense.” She nodded, before stopping for a moment. There had been many legends from her people, and sharing them could take a while, so instead, she tried to aim for something that might have sounded familiar or really just aimed for the first one that came to mind, “As for your question, my stories are legends passed down from my Mohawk ancestors that my grandparents, aunties, uncles, and parents have shared with me growing up. You may or may not have heard some of them, but one popular one, Sky-Woman, is about Atsi'tsiaka:ion, a celestial being who fell from the sky after being cast out the heavens for doing something wrong. Some versions of the legend even tell of her bringing strawberries and tobacco to the Earth.” Sam had loved hearing legends and tales from her family. Even to this day, when she would occasionally return home to visit her family in Canada, she would get her aunties to tell her the same tales she had heard many times before. But now that some of these things were coming true in their own ways, Sam was struggling to adjust.

“Fae…” Sam repeated the word over and over in her head, and the more Cass described, the more familiar it all started to sound as she began to recall more of her people's lore. She had heard of something similar, but Cass looked nothing like what she imagined in her head, “You’re Gahongas!” She figured Cass probably didn’t know what the word meant, “It means Stone Thrower. But you’re taller than what I was taught, and I don’t believe there was ever any mention of Gahongas having rocks for skin. I’m sorry for prying, but do you happen to live in a cave?” The legend had spoken of such, and if Cass had said yes, her family’s legends were starting to become reality. Her realization soon faded into something else though with the question of what happened to Zach and the mention of Deer Lady.

Sam stood up from where she had been sitting and walked over to the window to look outside. Did she really want to rehash this? Cass had been kind enough to explain herself when she could have easily told Sam to fuck off, “You’re probably going to think I’m lying, but…I’m pretty sure it was vampires…There were puncture marks all over his body, and he was as pale as the snow outside when they were finished with him…I ran though. I did nothing to help him…” She trailed off, tears coming to her eyes as she continued to stare outside, “It’s why I fear Deer Lady is after me. She comes for people who have been bad. And if you’re living proof of the Gahongas, then that means that Deer Lady is real too, and I’m never going to be able to sleep again…”

—

The story wasn’t one Cass was familiar with, though she wasn’t familiar with most human stories aside from the ones she’d immersed herself in on television or in comic books. She liked this one, though; liked the idea of something bigger than herself, just as she always had. For Cass, and the oreads she’d grown up around, that bigger thing was the Earth. The stones, the volcanoes, the mountains. “What did she do wrong?” It was hard not to wonder. What could be so bad to see someone cast out from their community? If Cass understood, maybe she’d be able to work out why she’d been turned away from hers.

Her brow furrowed a little at the unfamiliar word. “Some fae are shorter. Some are taller. Like everyone else, I guess.” She thought of the nymph she’d met in her cave, the one who towered over everything, or of the one at the BMV who was shorter. “I, um…” She hesitated. Would Sam judge her if she admitted to living in a cave? Shifting her weight, she nodded sheepishly. “I do, yeah. I lived in a volcano in Hawai’i, but…” There were no volcanoes in Maine. She used to think about leaving to find one somewhere else, but that was long before she’d made connections and carved out a place of belonging for herself here. Now, she couldn’t imagine leaving. Not unless someone forced her to. 

She watched Sam walk towards the window, wondering if she’d said or done something wrong somewhere along the line. “I wouldn’t think you were lying,” she replied quietly, trailing behind her friend at a safe distance. “I… Vampires are real. I know a few. So… You could be right.” Was it okay, telling Sam all this? Would she feel better knowing it, or was ignorance bliss? Cass didn’t know. She didn’t know what she’d want if she were in Sam’s shoes. “I don’t think you were bad, Sam. It sounds like you were afraid. Anyone would have been. Being afraid isn’t the same as being bad.”

—

Sam hadn’t expected the question of what Skywoman had done wrong, “Different versions claim different things. But it’s a story that represents creation and sometimes the contrast of good vs evil, because some legends claim that Skywoman had twins.” She took a moment. Was there still a lesson that Skywoman could teach Sam at this moment? Good vs evil? It was something she could ponder on another time. She had other things to discuss with Cass.

“That…makes sense about the height differences.” Sam listened as Cass continued to explain Jogah as well as admitting to living in a cave and once a volcano. There was no judgment from Sam at all. Instead, the more she knew about legends and the reality of some of the creatures in them, the better prepared she would be if she were going to keep seeing the world for what it really was. Turning around to face her friend, she let her eyes stay focused on Cass’s. She had seen what the woman was made of and there wasn’t any need to study her rocky exterior, “That’s actually really cool, Cass. Thank you for being honest with me.”

A small smile had slipped over her lips, eyes still holding lingering tears, but soon dropped again with the confirmation that vampires were real. Knowing that Cass actually knew vampires was something that scared her, “How…aren’t you afraid of them?” Had that been a dumb question considering her friend was made of rocks? Vampires couldn’t bite rocks. But they could easily bite human skin, “But I could have done something. I could have fought. Tried to get them off of him. Anything! But I hid like a coward, Cass. And then ran! I left him there to die!” By now the tears were streaming down Sam’s cheeks as she found herself collapsing to the floor defeated.

—  

Good and evil were difficult concepts to understand. Cass knew that. Even in the comics and stories she adored so much, there were gray areas. No villain was completely wrong, no hero completely righteous. The truth always fell somewhere between two extremes. She could only assume that the stories Sam’s family had shared with her were similar. Skywoman may have done something wrong, but it was wrong to cast her out, too. It had been wrong for Cass’s aos si to cast her out, to leave her to fend for herself as a child. There were no right answers; that was the hard part.

Sam didn’t seem to be judging her for what she was, and there was some relief in there. Cass almost took the thanks reflexively, almost tightened a bind around her friend’s throat before remembering herself. She didn’t want to do that to friends, except… except she did. There was something she could never quite shake, some inclination towards chaos that was hard to rid herself of. She forced it down now, forced herself to swallow it like a dry loaf of bread that she needed to save herself from starving. “You shouldn’t thank me,” she said, the words hard to force out because she didn’t quite want to say them. “Or people like me. We can use your words against you.” 

She hummed at the question. “I know some who are kind,” she replied. “Vampires, werewolves, fae… they’re like humans. There are bad ones out there, ones who are cruel and violent and evil. But there are good ones, too. A vampire I know has been more of a parent to me than my actual parents ever even tried to be.” She ached a little as Sam continued. Her pain was so obvious, so tangible. Cass was gentle when she spoke again. “What could you have done, Sam? Honestly? If you hadn’t run, they would have turned on you next. I didn’t know your friend, but… I don’t think he would have wanted you to die with him.”

—

Sam looked at Cass through tears. What had she meant? Shouldn’t thank her or people like her? This hadn’t been in the lore she had heard, at least, if it had, she couldn’t remember. She would have to go back. Call her elders for clarification. If there were more Jogah living in Wicked’s Rest, her sight would give her the answer. But she knew not all people were Jogah. Not all who walked around with wings and hooves and horns, “Right…” She nodded softly, forcing down the words of thanks out of respect for the warning she had just been given.

Sam wiped her eyes and forced back the knot in her throat. The confirmation of more than just what Cass referred to as fae, included a creature Sam was already fearful of and another she had grown up hearing many legends about. But Cass’s words, and the way she explained how a vampire had taken her under their wing was slowly opening the young woman’s eyes to an idea she let slip her mind the night Zach was killed – that not everything in this world is made of evil intentions. Though it’d have to be something she reluctantly experienced for herself, and with the way things were coming to light in this town, she knew it probably wouldn’t be far off. Until then, she opted to remain quiet on the subject.

“I…I don’t know. And I know you’re right. But I was a coward in the face of fear, and I’ll never be able to get the sound of him screaming out of my head.” Sam released a quivering breath. Cass was right. She knew Zach wouldn’t have wanted her to end up in the same position, neither would her parents. Wiping her eyes one final time, she slowly got back to her feet. “I’m sorry again, about earlier. This…new ability, it’s taking a lot to get used to, and it’s a lot to take in. Can you forgive me for earlier?”

— 

“I can tell you all the rules.” Because wasn’t that what she’d want someone to do for her, roles reversed? Whether she wanted to be or not, Sam lived in this world now. And living in any world without knowing the rules of it was a very dangerous thing, a very risky ordeal. Binds could kill people; Cass had seen it. And the idea of something like that happening to Sam, who talked about comics and made cosplay with her, was absolutely nauseating. She couldn’t even begin to accept it. 

Sam had been through enough already. That much was clear. It seemed unfair, seemed unjust. Cass had been born into this world and, as a result, the things she suffered made sense. They were expected, they were normal. Not deserved, she didn’t think — imagining that she’d somehow earned her experience with Rhett made her angry just to think about — but not unfair, either. For Sam, things were different. She shouldn’t have been attacked and victimized by a world she hadn’t even known existed. It wasn’t right.

“You weren’t a coward,” Cass insisted. “You saved yourself. That was the only thing you could have done. What happened isn’t your fault. The only people who are to blame are the vampires who did it, okay?” There were bad people out there. Cass knew that better than most. But she also knew that Sam wasn’t one of them. So it was easy to offer her a small smile, to nod her head. “Of course I can forgive you,” she said quietly. “You didn’t mean anything by it. I know that. It’s… a lot to take in. I get it.”

—

“You’re not gonna get in trouble or anything right? I-I don’t want to get you in trouble.” Sam had cared deeply about Cass. She was starting to see her as her kid sister, and now, an even cooler kid sister, because she was practically a volcano. It didn’t get any more badass than that the more it started to sink in. And as much as she wanted to tell her parents that the Little People were real, she didn’t want to break Cass’s trust nor put her family in any kind of danger. This town was full of scary things, and Sam was only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

Sam further listened to Cass knowing the younger woman had a point. As hard as it was to accept, it was fight or flight in that moment, and as much as she had hated herself for it, she had chosen flight, which had given her a second chance at life. Now, the best thing she could do was educate herself. Learn more about the creatures and people of Wicked’s Rest, so she hopefully wouldn’t be caught off guard and would be able to do something about it.

But first she wanted to make it up to Cass, “I can’t say what I want to say, but you’ve really opened my eyes today and given me a chance to see a different side of this new world. It means a lot. And I would love to hear about more of Wicked’s Rest’s residents, if you have time. I’ll spring for pizza, and we can work on that Ms. Marvel costume?” She knew it was a lot and wouldn’t be just a one evening thing, but Sam had seen the true identity of her friend, and there was no doubt in her mind that Cass wasn’t anything other than her friend.

[ofescapisms]

Final Moments

Where: in the woods Who: Morgan and Teddy TWs: death, blood, panic attack

Going out for a hunting trip with Teddy was a comforting thing for Morgan, just something they’ve been doing for years. They walked through the woods to head towards a good spot when Morgan could hear the sounds of a child somewhere close by. “You hear that?” she asked, before the sounds became more distressed and Morgan jumped into action. “Come on,” she said quickly as she ran towards the voice. As they arrived, she looked up to see a scout alone up in a tree, clinging to the trunk and standing on a branch that was far higher than most kids would dare go. The little girl must have wandered off from the group. “Hey! Hey, it’s ok! We’ve got you!” she called out to the little girl as she set her crossbow down from the hunting trip. “I’ll climb up, I know how you feel about heights,” she told Teddy.

Teddy despite his distaste for blood and gore loved a good hunt. If he didn't think too hard about it he was a very good hunter and he could carry a deer with no trouble at all. His head whipped around to the sound of a kid just up head "Yeah..." He readied his gun. In case there was a reason for the shouting "Right behind you...." He nodded and followed close to her. Looking up when they reached the tree he sighed "Shits high....fuck um..." He licked his lips nervously. Blinking at Morgan blankly "wait woah are you crazy....why don't we radio the fire station they have a ladder..." He placed a hand on her arm to stop her. He wasn't even the one climbing and he was already shaking at the idea of climbing in general.

Morgan looked back up at the scared kid and shook her head looking back at Teddy. “She’s terrified, I don’t think it would be best to wait that long. It’s fine, I’m a great climber,” she smiled to reassure him and put a hand on his arm before she turned back to the tree and grabbed the closest branch. “Just keep an eye on her and tell me if she moves or something, ok?” she asked as she started to climb up. Morgan was always climbing trees growing up, so she was able to climb up pretty quickly and reach the little girl. “Hey, it’s ok, I’ve got you, ok? Just hold on to me and get on my back,” she instructed. The scared child nodded, eyes red from crying, and moved to wrap her arms around Morgan. As soon as the child had her arms around her, Morgan heard a crack and felt the branch they were standing on shift. “Shit,” she said under her breath as she wrapped an arm around the girl protectively, just as the child let out a scared cry.

Teddy nodded "okay....okay...." He felt a smirk pull at his lips "oh I know you are." His face scrunched and he shook his head "not the time...." He always said dumb shit when he was scared or nervous. He watched her as she climbed. God she was good, and he did know this. Breathing out to calm himself as he watched her climb. He sighed when she got the girl on her back then he branch begin to crack and he jolted "F-fuck.....shit shit shit" he said in a whisper to himself "Morgan please be careful..." He braces himself to catch at least one of them if something happened. Setting his gun down.

Morgan froze until she thought the branch was stable again, but the second she made a move to climb down with the girl, the entire branch gave way. In a split second, she managed to wrap herself around the child and turn them as they fell, the little girl screaming and Morgan bracing herself for the impact on the ground. It felt like it was moving in slow motion, and when the impact finally came, Morgan landing on her back with the child safely on top of her. Unfortunately, there had also been some large rocks in the area, and Morgan’s head hit one. Between that and the impact of such a long fall, she felt paralyzed as she lay there, looking at the sky and letting out short gasps for breath. She felt like she couldn’t move, feeling nothing but a searing pain at the back of her head as she tried to inhale even a little bit of air.

Teddy couldn't move fast enough before he could even reach to grab the child and Morgan were down on the ground. Teddy knew immediately that this wasn't good he came rushing over getting the kid off of Morgan "Go! Get out of here go get help!!" He leaned down to Morgan "M-morgan" he could already feel the tears falling down his cheeks, he was shaking "Morgan were getting help...look at me keep looking at me" he look up to the empty forest. He gently held her face in his hands "Morgan, baby please.... please don't leave me please" he was trying to soothe himself taking deep breaths. But nothing was helping. "Fuck...."

Morgan just looked up at Teddy as she continued to take small inhales, her body slowly coming out of the paralytic shock, but the pain at the back of her head was still just as strong. “Teddy…” she wheezed, her hand slightly moving to grab his arm. “Ugh, my head,” she groaned, not realizing there was quite a bit of blood coming from it now. Her field of vision started getting more narrow and she worried this really was the end. “I don’t…it’s bad this time,” she coughed, still looking up at him.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck" was all Teddy could get out. He wasn't a hero, as much as he wished he was. Here he was just frozen. Holding his friend in his lap shaking with fear having tears down his face. He looked up, he figured that kid wasn't coming back. They were too scared, too scared to get in trouble, too scared to come back to the tree. "I-I m not going to let you die Morgan...I’m not- I can't L-Lose you" he did his best to ignore the blood. "I'm getting you to the clinic.. I'm going to pick you up." He wasn't even sure if his words were making sense at this point. Between heavy breaths and sobbing There was no way he was making coherent sentences.

Morgan struggled to follow the words, as if her head just couldn’t keep up. She clung to him as he picked her up, gasping slightly at the pain of the movement. “Teddy…tell Hank a-and Zarina and Halley… I love them,” she choked out, feeling a tightness in her chest at the thought of not seeing them again. “I love you,” she added, her voice cracking, thinking this might be her last chance to say it.

He gently got her off the ground and pick her up off the ground "shut up, you're going to tell them yourself." He said with a groan "morgan...." He shook his head he was walking in a daze now. He had tunnel vision. "I love you too...." He huffed with her in his arms there wasn't much further he could see it "we're almost there Morgan just- STAY WITH ME please" he begged "you have to stay alive..."

Morgan smiled softly hearing it back, the rest of the words were more of a blur. She just felt so tired, but like she was finally going to get some real rest for once. Her face was leaning against his chest, blood probably getting all over his arm but she didn’t feel it. She didn’t feel much of anything anymore. It was probably ok if she closed her eyes for a moment, he said they were almost there after all. A little nap wouldn’t hurt, would it? So she closed her eyes and soon everything went quiet. There was no pain anymore. Teddy felt her go limp against his arms "Morgan! MORGAN!!! C'mon wake up wake up Morgan..." He busted through the clinic door "HELP, SOMEONE HELP PLEASE! She- she fell from a tree, hit her head she-" someone he didn't know who took Morgan from his arms and dragged her off into the clinic. "Sir I need you to breathe" he shook his head everything was going dark his vision blurring and down to the floor he went passing out on the clinic floor.

[motownfiction]

study group

After about a month, no one remembers it, but Sadie was Rocky Sullivan’s first choice for Cogito, not Will.

She wasn’t particularly thrilled by the concept. Rocky Sullivan always has out-of-this-world ideas to get ahead, to forge networks, to make himself excellent. Out of everyone who’s ever been valedictorian at St. Catherine’s, he’s the one people from all kinds of cliques and backgrounds fear. Sadie once made the mistake of asking Rocky why he settled for Michigan instead of going someplace like Harvard or Yale or even Stanford. Rocky just gave her a stern look and said, “There’s too much at stake in the Blue.”

That’s another thing about Rocky Sullivan. He speaks in riddles.

So, it wasn’t much of a surprise when Sadie discovered that the person sending her photocopied images of Descartes was Rocky Sullivan. It was, however, a surprise that Sadie agreed to meet him for coffee in the student union. Well, Rocky drank coffee. More like guzzled it. He’s been drinking coffee since he was in the sixth grade. He says he’ll sleep when he’s dead.

“And if you keep that up, you could be dead before law school,” Sadie says.

Rocky gives her another famous stern look.

“Medical school?”

Another stern look.

“Rocky, you’re not seriously going to tell me you’re uninterested in any type of professional education. I’ve known you since I was three. You make Alex P. Keaton look like Tom Hayden.”

“I admire Hayden. Man knew how to get ahead. Plus, he’s married to Barbarella, which we all wish we could be.”

“We all?”

“Doyle, if you could let me get to the point, please.”

“Proceed.”

“Thank you. I have every intention of attending business school when I’m through here. As a fall semester junior, I’m already doing preliminary work on applications. Scouting recommenders, saving up for the application fee, working on essay prompts. Did you know the essays for a business school application only have to be 100 words? Amateurs. Most of them don’t even understand the value of a liberal arts education. They’re not like us.”

Sadie chews on her straw to keep from laughing. She knows all this from Rocky’s reputation, but also from Carrie, who’s sort of really her friend these days. Carrie says that her big brother thinks he’s hot shit because he’s majoring in economics instead of general business. Maybe he’s a little bit right.

“Regardless,” Rocky says, probably oblivious to the fact that he’s interrupting no one but himself, “we need people from every major. That’s where you come in, if you’d like.”

He launches into his whole spiel. He’s starting this slightly secret society of highly intelligent and highly motivated students from every major in every college. It’s not going to be like a weird fraternity, he says, because that would be a waste of everyone’s time. It’s going to be a place where the brightest and the best can talk about their achievements, get assistance if they need it, meet each other. It sounds like a study group, or like Rocky just wants friends. By all accounts, he’s never really had those.

Sadie, by contrast, has always had friends. She’s comfortable with the small number she’s fortunate enough to keep. When she tries to explain that to Rocky, he won’t hear it.

“This isn’t a social club,” he says. “This has every advantage to your career. You might be the only delegate from the psychology major, but that means something. As soon as I heard you’d declared that way, I didn’t hesitate. I have friends in your psychology class from last winter. They said you had more original ideas than a poet on his first acid trip. I heard you pulled a perfect score on almost every paper. It’s obvious. You’re the one that I want.”

“Oh, yes, indeed?” Sadie asks.

“Yes.”

“No, I was … you’ve seen Grease, right?”

“I caught your reference. It’s just of little import to me right now. What I need to know is if you’re interested in joining Cogito or if I should move onto someone else who doesn’t deserve it as much.”

“Deserve it? Rocky, do you hear yourself? This isn’t an official fraternity or society. This is a study group that you made up.”

“It’s not a study group!”

“It’s something.”

“Yes, and it’s something important. If you’re worried about your friends, you don’t have to be. I already asked Callaghan. She jumped at the chance.”

Sadie sighs.

“Doesn’t surprise me,” she says. “If you told Lucy they were planning to carve her face into Mount Rushmore, and all they needed was her signature, she’d sign in her own blood.”

“Really?”

“Maybe. Doesn’t matter. I just … I don’t think I’m actually the right person. I don’t have that cutthroat thing that you and Lucy have. I’m … God, I don’t know how else to say it, but I think I’m just different.”

Rocky tries and fails not to roll his eyes. Sadie doesn’t blame him. It’s almost funny.

“I guess I’ll have to accept your decision,” he says. “If you’re not going to join, can you think of someone else? Someone who might be as talented as you one of these days?”

Sadie looks around the union as though that will help. But it does. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Will with an order of fries in one hand and Elenore’s diaper bag in the other. She grins. Will is a double major – psychology and political science, just to prove he can do it. He is always looking for a leg up, a reason to feel important. And who is Sadie if not the one who gives people what they want, what will make them happy?

She fixes her eyes back on Rocky Sullivan and smiles with all her teeth.

“Yes.”

(part of @nosebleedclub september challenge -- day xviii! no, i did not intend for this scene to be this long. holy holy. but when i write for rocky sullivan, who is hilarious, things always get out of hand!)

[24-05txt]

Can I something for Lost & Found? I scroll past it in by bookmarks all the time and I'm eager for more!

Ogh, man, Lost and found... (Wip ask game!!)

See what I'm struggling with there is that I got a good bit into chapter 2 while on a flight to somewherecan'tremember and lost like. All of it. Because I closed the app for too long and the lack of connectivity ate it!!! Even though it was supposed to be fine!! Moral of the story is never trust technology (said by the IT major). Obviously my reaction was to pout about it forever.

Anyway I did get moving on chapter 2 again, but while I was sulking I wrote ahead a little bit (as I am prone to do) and thus have the content. I debated on not giving spoilers and then decided I don't care and I'm really excited to share this snippet so!!! Have some retrospective from Simon (not Ghost).

Some other info before that in case anyone is interested: I did finally decide what Ghost and Soap's relationship is in this and its [?????]. Like almost an established relationship and since this is from Ghost's pov he's obviously whipped, and if Soap isn't equally whipped then he's at least encouraging Ghost, but aside from Ghost's internal monologue of being disgustingly in love 24-7 and constantly on the verge of sloppy makeouts they still haven't kissed or anything like. Explicitly romantic. So take that as you will. I've also decided how they met/what the home situation is!! So I'm excited. They were really the only unknowns here because Simon is. Well he's an OC and also I'm playing him in a TTRPG, so I know exactly where he came from and what he's doing (trying not to die.)

Anyway, nearly 1k below the cut and aside from mentions of violence and implied neglect of a child I don't think there's anything to watch out for here :3 lmk if I'm wrong. Enjoy!

Simon tries really hard to be a good kid, is the thing.

It's not, like, a complex or anything—at least he doesn't think it is. He doesn't remember ever having it drilled into him by Dad; it's just something that has always made sense. He never understood when the twins or Maria or whatever-her-name-was hawked on Lights or Cyclops for stupid shit like their fears or looks. That's why he wasn't sad to see Maria die.

Which—okay yeah, a little fucked up, but that doesn't make him a bad kid. Maria even deserved it when Athena snapped her neck. Probably. He's not clear on the moral aspect of it, doesn't know enough about murder or homicide or whatever to pass judgment on whether or not Maria's death was just. But he's a good kid, he knows it. The adults in the community would say it all the time—his dad, too. 'You're a good kid, Simon,' whenever he picked up after himself or did his chores or won a rugby game or finished his homework. Not that he's a suck-up—was a suck-up, not that he was a suck-up. He needs to say 'was' now, since most of the adults are dead and he doesn't even know where his dad is.

But, you know, it's fine. Simon's a good kid, and he kept the house clean while his dad was away, even when the weeks stretched on long enough to make him start to wonder. Not doubt, he doesn't—didn't—doubt his dad. He's seventeen now, and he's never had that 'rebel' phase he's heard of through adults; it's sort of a point of pride—or it was sort of a point of pride. He supposes breaking into his dad's office with his friends to steal maps and old family photos counts as rebellious. So, maybe he just didn't have a rebel phase until that.

He's just also a little lost, is the issue. Literally lost, not in the metaphorical sense where he needs to go on some inner journey. He needs to find his dad. His dad, who apparently did not leave for a scouting trip and instead went looking for Simon's mom—who isn't dead, like they had both thought. At least, Simon had thought that.

He doesn't know what his dad thought anymore; his dad didn't so much as leave a note to let Simon know where he was off to. Those three weeks spent cleaning and taking care of the house in his absence feel a lot less mundane and a lot more foreboding, in retrospect. Would he have still gone to class and done his chores if he'd known what his dad was doing? Probably, because he's a good kid. (So why not tell him?)

But it probably doesn't matter now, since it's done and in the past. Lots of things about Simon's previously comfortable life are ending up in the past-tense now, simply because they no longer apply or can't apply the same way. But Simon is a good kid. Present tense. Is. Because he's still trying really hard to be one. It's harder, though, when no one is telling him what is good to do and he has to think for himself. He has to think for other people too—for Coda and Leaf and Irix and Shaq (and Lights and Tunes and Cyclops and Athena), who are all years younger than him and in need of protective guidance.

Simon's not so good at guiding—leaving the community had pretty quickly brought to his attention that he'd spent most of his life just listening to what people told him—but he can protect. He was on the rugby team, he knows how to push people around, and back when Dad would stay at home they used to go hunting, so he knows how to shoot a gun.

But that brings him back to the 'lost' issue; he can't protect any of them if they're separated. He didn't mean to get lost in the storm. He'd just wanted to help and make sure everyone got in the vehicle, didn't even know that wind could blow so strong that it'd pick him up.

Apparently it can, and it did, and he woke up on the roof of a building with scrapes on his palms and dirt in his ears, and absolutely no sense of direction. He'd cried a little, then. Maybe it was childish, but it had been a rough couple of days—between cannibals and raiders and storms (and zombies and corpses and)—so he cut himself some slack for throwing a bit of a shitfit when he discovered he'd chipped a front tooth.

(The fact that none of the girls were around to see it and all the other jocks who would have made fun of him were probably dead did briefly make him feel a little better, and then a whole lot worse.)

A day after that is when he found the soldiers—Ghost and Soap. He hadn't really met any adults with names like his peers before but for all the firsts he was having, this one barely clocked.

They were... cool. They reminded him of comic book characters with their velcro pouches and shawls and masks and sleek guns. Sure, he might’ve pointed a gun at Ghost, but he's self-aware enough to know that he wouldn't have been able to shoot—at least not while Ghost was being decent toward him. Coda and Athena have killed people, Simon hasn't. (Generally good kids don't kill people, but he has a feeling there are exceptions to the rule, so he would like to make the distinction.)

[strawbxrrytiger]

i'm gonna post this here because for anyone who doesn't use twitter or hasn't heard the news from a friend, you need to know.

cw for sexual assault, grooming, pedophilia, and more. overall cw/tw for fucked up shit;

elliot gindi was a small voice actor mostly known for his role as Tighnari in Genshin Impact.

he grew popular because of this, his character was beloved and his voice acting made Tighnari loved even more.

he was looked up to and had an ever growing fanbase.

but, behind the scenes, he was

grooming

blackmailing

abusing

being transphobic

asking for MULTIPLE teenager's nudes (which included a 14 & 17 year old)

being sexist

being racist

being manipulative

and overall being an egotistical asshole

this twitter post was compiled by his mod team and shows not only victim's stories but evidence of his admittance (which he did in his "apology").

this is the thread i made compiling all of the evidence from the victims that wasn't included in the doc. it is being regularly updated with stories from more victims that have come forward since the release of all the information + creepy encounters others have had.

i personally was close with him, we DMd and talked and he listened to me vent about my financial situation and family situation multiple times. he even had gone to a point where he gave me $200 to help out.

he had joined a private server with a couple of friends and i n would have us essentially do the mods' work for him in scouting out people who needed to be talked to/banned

on top of that i was also an emote artist of his.

if you were in his streams/discord you most likely recognize this

it's the emote i drew that he used

DMs to show so you know i'm not BSing, his profile changed because he's a childish 31 year old man who thinks making his profiles blacked out/blank and edgy will help his case (spoiler alert: it won't).

we also had numerous interactions in his server (i'm sentient sushi)

why am i showing all of this? because i've seen people saying that all the evidence is false, and people are faking it to try and tear him down. which is far from the case. he was someone i, and many others involved in calling him out, admired. we have no reason to shit on his name for "clout" or to "tear him down." everything is real and he needs to be torn to shreds for what he has done. for the people he hurt and manipulated.

he'd lure people into a false sense of security so they couldn't run away when he started being sexual and creepy. this behavior is disgusting and no one else deserves to be put through it.

so, please, support the victims. spread their messages and lift their voices. he needs to pay for the people he's traumatized.

even if you don't have a Twitter account i encourage you to read through everyone's stories and know what happened. real people went through this and real people suffered.

they deserve nothing but to be uplifted and praised for not only their bravery but their ability to encourage others to step out and say something. most of the victims are close friends of mine and they're such wonderful people who have had to deal with such a nasty, nasty man. do whatever you can to give them the support and love they need - the mods included. they had to deal with his bullshit behind the scenes and they didn't deserve it. they spent their time and effort managing the server of a man who was taking advantage of the members.

so, please, PLEASE never support elliot gindi. ever. he's an awful monster that hides behind a kind demeanor. he just hurts, and hurts, and hurts some more.

thank you for taking time to read this and spread the word even more than it already has been. everything helps and everything matters.