#donut lived because of doc

[sabotourist]

You know I was talking with my friend a while back and in light of restoration... Can we just talk about how good Doc is? How, in s15, when the others retired, he went on to find other ways to help. How he has failed over and over, gotten shit on over and over, gotten his mind fucked with over and over, and yet that man never stopped trying to help people?

Even at the very end.

[karvviie]

would actually do anything to hear more about ur arcane rvb thoughts, who are the pilties who are the zaunites i need to knoww

wait okay i haven’t thought this AU out super thoroughly yet but here are my thoughts on what each character would be so far:

church - piltie who moved to zaun because of amnesia reasons. if we’re going along with rvb lore then he is possibly some kinda fucked up clone as a result of dr leonard church experimenting with the arcane.

caboose - zaunite, probably a relatively well known person in the community. known for fixing stuff for people but also breaking stuff.

tucker - zaunite, close to caboose. hangs out at kai’s club/bar a lot. they meet church in zaun and they all sorta just stick together.

tex - zaunite (allison was also a zaunite while leonard was a piltovan) maybe also a fucked up arcane clone of sorts?

wash - low-class piltovan who was an enforcer that got fucked over by the system and had to move to zaun. he becomes disillusioned with piltover. carolina was his CO at one point.

carolina - piltovan. former enforcer mainly because her dad wanted her to be one. similar to rvb lore she goes into hiding in zaun after a bunch of fucked up stuff happens and then she tries to go back and kill leonard with the help of the reds and blues which she meets through wash in zaun.

sarge - former enforcer who was discharged for various mental health reasons. possibly not native to either piltover or zaun so he dgaf about being loyal to either he’s just an enforcer bc being in the military is all he knows. but he ends up staying in zaun after he was forced to quit being an enforcer.

simmons - piltie who got disowned by his father (or possibly exiled) so he moved down to zaun. maybe a former student at piltover academy who got expelled for doing some stupid science shit.

grif - zaunite, lives with his sister in the club/bar that she owns in the lanes. simmons probably moves in with them after getting kicked out bc grif saves his ass from getting mugged and then simmons returns the favour by fixing a bunch of broken stuff at the bar or whatever. also yes grif and simmons still do the organ sharing/cyborg stuff in this AU.

donut - ok i’m actually not sure about him. i feel like he could work as either zaunite or piltovan but i think maybe he could be a firefly

doc - piltovan medic who wants to help less privileged areas in zaun so he often goes between cities trying to provide medical aid

[tiredandoptimistic]

RvB tarot cards

I have once again cooked up a hypothetical tarot deck for a show I enjoy. I didn't make any art because I refuse to attempt Halo armor, but here's my pitch for which RvB character I'd assign to each of the major arcana.

0-The Fool: Franklin Delano Donut. The fool symbolizes new beginnings, and someone who is so excited to be on an adventure that they stop paying attention to the dangers around them. Donut is of course known for his vibrant enthusiasm, but he may not be the most mindful person. Despite all the dangers and near death experiences he's faces though, this plucky private just keeps on being fabulous.

1-The Magician: Frank "Doc" Dufrense. The magician is a powerful character because he stands outside the limits of the four suits, much like Doc's place beyond the constructed binary of Red vs Blue. He doesn't belong wholly to any group (and his mind doesn't even belong wholly to himself), but that won't stop him from showing up every day to make people more comfortable while they die. He is an outsider who comes to help others; it's just a question of whether he can live up to his own good intentions.

2-The High Priestess: Agent North Dakota. As an almost parental figure, the high priestess is often sought for advice and encourages cooler heads to prevail. North's place amongst the Freelancers was often defined by his role as a peacekeeper, serving as an advocate for calm and reasoned thinking in the face of bizarre circumstances. It's because of this logic and empathy that he was able to recognize Freelancer's corruption and ultimately defect from the project.

3- The Empress: Agent New York. The empress is a leader not through force but through nurturing. This suits York, who was consistently one of the highest ranked and best beloved Freelancers, in large part due to his amiable personality and willingness to listen to others. He often acted as a more passive or supportive member of the group, but his defection from the program proved that he was still an independent thinker and a leader in his own right.

4- The Emperor: Agent Carolina. In contrast to their counterpart, the emperor is the leader who maintains control through strict discipline. Carolina was the head of her squad in Project Freelancer due to her raw strength and combat ability, but she often allowed this reliance on rules and structure to go too far. She not only allowed the ranking system to control her life, but she expected her place as #1 to allow her to control the lives of others. After her time with the Reds and Blues she allowed herself to loosen up a bit, but she still maintained her domineering personality and commitment to victory.

5- The Hierophant: Col. Sarge. The hierophant is another leadership card, this one coming from a person who is entrenched in a place of authority and perhaps a bit too reliant on rules and history. Sarge is certainly a creative leader in many ways, but he also depends upon the army as the arbitrator of right and wrong; focusing heavily on receiving orders and passing them on to his subordinates. Sarge isn't completely unchangeable though, and we see in season eight onwards the sort of wild maneuvers he'll cook up on his own time.

6- The Lovers: Lopez and Sheila. This card is fairly self explanatory, I think. Two people in love! It just so happens that in this case, the happiest and most functional relationship is between a robot soldier and the enemy tank.

7- The Chariot: Agent South Dakota. The chariot is all about go-go-go. It's a card of action and movement, much like South's fiery and passionate personality. Though her impulsivity often got her benched, the limitations placed on her by the Director only added to her frustration and prevented her from getting any of that energy out in a healthy way. After Project Freelancer her main mission was always to keep moving and keep finding something new, no matter what destruction she had to leave behind.

8- Strength: Michael J. Caboose. While Caboose is of course strong in a physical sense, that's not exactly the meaning of the strength tarot card. Strength is the lion, but it's also the young woman who fearlessly scratches the lion's ears. Caboose can lift a tank, but his real power comes from the strength of his friendships and his willingness to trust anyone who comes his way. This endless optimism and determination to keep seeing the bright side of everything (even a killer robot) is what led the Reds and Blues out of many tough scrapes.

9- The Hermit: Dick Simmons. The hermit is a guy by himself, plain and simple. While Simmons craves the company of others, he often finds it easier to keep himself isolated than to deal with the complexities of humanity. If the Reds don't respect him he'll simply join the Blues and take over an empty base. He's smart, yes, but he sees his own powers as ultimate and doesn't want to be on the team if he isn't seen as essential.

10- The Wheel of Fortune: Agent Florida. As a symbol of fate and destiny, the wheel of fortune is suited to a character like Florida who may appear chaotic but ultimately pulls the strings of Blood Gulch. His personality can be a bit unpredictable at times, but Flowers is still completely in control. It's just a question of whether you've figured out his plan yet.

11- Justice: Agent Connecticut. While all the members of Project Freelancer were supposedly fighting for peace, CT is the only one who took it upon herself to keep their agency in check. The others followed of course, but she was the first whistleblower to really challenge Freelancer and uncover the twisted secrets of their organization, and she was more than willing to sacrifice her life if it meant getting that information to the right people. Though it didn't come to pass until after his death, CT was still the one who brought Project Freelancer to justice.

12- The Hanged Man: Lavernius Tucker. While the hanged man isn't exactly a cheery sounding card, what it's really about is looking at difficult situations from a creative perspective. Tucker was constantly tied up in the schemes of others (The Director, the Sangheli, Felix), but he always maintained his distinctive attitude and determination. While he would have preferred to stay the same guy he was in Blood Gulch, he proved again and again that he was more than able to adapt and evolve; thriving in lethal conflicts and becoming a hero unlike any other.

13- Death: The Meta. The Meta, like death, is not cruel or sadistic. It is simply coming for you, and you will not escape. Looking deeper though, the death card in tarot symbolizes the end to old systems and the transition to something new. The Meta was once Agent Maine, until is underwent a transformation more horrible than simply dying. It went through a metamorphosis, and in the process brought about the end of Project Freelancer and the beginning of a new era.

14- Temperance: Locus. This card is one that symbolizes balance more than anything else. As a man desperate to become a machine, Locus tried to maintain perfect control over himself. He wanted to appear solid and unshakeable, up until the bedrock of his partnership with Felix was shattered. After he turned on his partner, Locus struggled to maintain a different kind of balance; between the man he was and the man he wants to be.

15- The Devil: Felix. Well this one is pretty simple. The devil as a card is about evil, yes; but it's also about control and creativity. Felix found joy in his ability to wrap the people of the New Republic around his finger, and he thrived in command of an army of space pirates. More than that though, he had fun with it. He always came up with innovative ways to destroy his enemies or intimidate his allies, and he was completely free of guilt the entire time.

16- The Tower: The Director. While death and the devil sound scary on the surface, the tower is really the most powerfully negative card in the deck. Much like Dr. Church, the tower brings misery and despair to everyone associated with it. More specifically, the screaming people falling from a lightning struck tower symbolizes divine retribution for humans who saw themselves as gods. The Director spent his later years trying to build a program that could win a war and bring back his lost love, and his favorite tool was manipulation. He always wanted nothing more than to establish his own power and prove that he could maintain complete control over the world and people around him, but it was only a matter of time before his ship crashed into Sidewinder and his bitter children found his hiding place.

17- The Star: Dexter Grif. The star is another symbol of balance, though this one is more about fairness and hope. Grif is someone who may act discontented but clearly cares deeply about the people around him, and his unshakeable demeanor holds the Reds together (as much as Sarge would hate to admit it). While he doesn't literally nourish the land and water like the star, he stays calm amidst a team of fiery tempers and is able to keep the warthog running if they ever need a getaway vehicle.

18- The Moon: Agent Washington. The moon is all about changes and illusions, perfect for someone like Wash who spent so much time blending into different personas. While Wash, like the moon, can appear dark and mysterious; he's ultimately a force for positive change amongst the Reds and Blues, who in turn inspire him to change into the best version of himself.

19- The Sun: Kaikaina Grif. Simple joy, that's what the sun is all about. In a canyon full of shitty people and a show full of angst, Kai is one of the only characters who's just here to have a good time. As crazy as things get for her brother and his friends, she'll always be waiting back at Blue Base with enough music and glowsticks to keep the party going.

20- Judgement: Agent Texas. Much like the angel on this card descends to judge mankind, Tex was dragged from the afterlife to separate the worthy from the corrupt. While she was created as a sort of toy in the Director's grief, she quickly established her own sense of identity and justice. She saw the truth of Project Freelancer and made it her mission to destroy it, doing her best to free the Alpha. In Blood Gulch and beyond she acted as a sort of avenging angel for the Blues, swooping in to save their asses and punish whoever she deemed to be worthy of punishment. In the end they all learned something from Tex and her fierce determination. Church became his own protector, and he could finally let Allison rest.

21- The World: The AI fragments. The world is a card of ultimate completion. Much like the many fragments who came from a more powerful AI, many symbols surround the vast and vibrant landscape of this card. Delta, Theta, Gamma, Omega, Beta, Sigma, Eta, Iota, Epsilon, and Alpha are all characters in their own right; but they're also pieces of a whole. They were never able to reunite fully in Red vs Blue, but they live on in the memories of Epsilon and all of us who return to the show year after year.

[rubykgrant]

At last, finished up the re-draw! Here is the line-art, flat colors, solid shading, the original, and two versions of the final with more shading/details (one version is mostly the "regular" tones for their colors with a little bit of a cool tint in the shading, and the second version is a little more ambient, with the implication of softer light in the dark). All done in MS Paint with a mouse, but with practice, I got better with making the shapes look nice and solid

(also, here is a slightly re-written/adjusted fic that goes with it. Enjoy~)

4 holiday parties in one week was entirely too many. Next year, they would have to plan this out better, space it out.

It didn’t help that Kai always wanted to throw a rager, regardless of the occasion, so her parties felt like 3 combined together. Donut also liked to go all-out, but thankfully his parties were a little more coherent (usually because somebody like Wash or Doc reigned him in). The problem with a Sarge party was his obsession with making it “old fashioned”, which evidently meant forcing everybody out on a hike in the woods to find a tree (not once but TWICE they had seen bears… no thanks). Their other friends were a little bit more chill with the get-togethers, but it was still just one thing after another.

Grif and Simmons stumbled into their apartment, after a Tucker-hosted party (which was wonderfully calm since Junior was there). With lots of groaning and grumbling mixed in, they went through the motions of taking off their jackets and shoes, changing into comfortable clothes, brushing their teeth, and AT LAST flopping down into bed.

“It is too GODDAM FRIGGIN’ COLD,” Grif proclaimed, making a big show of shivering next to Simmons. “I don’t care what you say, we need to leave the heat on when we go out-”

“NO, Grif. Heating the house while nobody’s home wastes energy,” Simmons argued back, not even bothering to open his eyes.

“That’s BS. Invent us some kinda perpetual energy device, so we’ll have unlimited power, and then I can come home to a nice and toasty bed!”

“I’ll get riiiiiiight on that…” Simmons rolled over, snuggling up against Grif, eyes still shut. At first, Grif was annoyed; because he hadn’t been able to pull the covers up yet (cold though they may be), and NOW he had a lanky nerd draped over him.

Then Simmons started kissing him.

“… no fair,” Grif mumbled, because what was he supposed to do, NOT kiss Simmons back? NOT wrap his arms around Simmons? NOT enjoy the way it felt, when Simmons pressed his body close, hooked his lower legs with Grif’s, and ran his finger across Grif’s scalp?

After a long day- heck a long week in the middle of a long MONTH, they were both tired, and perfectly satisfied for this to be what it was, and not turn into more (that would require several extra steps, and it wasn’t as if they hadn’t been enjoying themselves in that regard fairly often. This, kissing and embracing, was perfect… and exactly what they needed right now).

This was their first year living together, just them. They had shared the larger apartment place with everybody else for a couple of years, but when it seemed that their lives really were going to stop being so STUPIDLY DANGEROUS, it felt like they might be ready to have a place of their own. Be big boys, and all that. It was a lot different than every other time in Grif's life when he made a really big change. The fact that he wasn't trying to escape from a bad situation was definitely a switch... and it was nice. It was just nice, knowing he wasn't "leaving everything behind" even if he was moving forward, he wasn't going to lose his friends or his sister even if he didn't see them every single day. It was nice knowing he was where he wanted to be, and was WITH somebody he wanted, who wanted HIM.

Simmons could feel the heat from Grif's body seep into his own, and this just increases the warmth between them. One of the many benefits of sharing a bed together. As they move around, getting comfortable, Simmons’ shirt rides up, exposing his tummy to the still chilly apartment air… and it takes an incredible amount of self-control on Grif’s part not to tickle Simmons mercilessly (in the back of his mind, Grif is very proud over how mature he is).

Instead, he uses his feet to kick the covers up, closer and closer, inch by inch, until he finally can grab them. It wraps both men in a momentarily FREEZING cocoon, but then the beautiful heat between them spreads through the rest of the bed. Soon, the heating will kick-in, and air will be warm as well.

“I hate when you do that,” Grif said with a sigh.

“Silly me, I thought you LOVED when I did that…” Simmons nuzzled against Grif’s cheek.

“I hate that you can just end an argument by kissing me,” the smile Grif had on his face told an entirely different story. "I used to just flip you off and pull a Bugs Bunny mind-trip to mess you up, and I'd win... but now? You have a kissy-kissy cheat code,"

Simmons snorted at that.

“Oh shut up, you do the EXACT same thing to me. You know how to push all my buttons and pull my strings… and there’s nothing I can do about it,” Simmons told him.

“Yeah? Why’s that?” Grif asked.

“Because I’m totally, utterly, helplessly, hopelessly in love with you…” Simmons said in a ho-hum, no big deal tone of voice. Like he was stating a fact. Water was wet. 2 plus 2 equals 4.

“GOD, you jerk, I love you too~” Grif said, his voice now shaking with uncontrollable giggles. This wasn’t fair either, the way Simmons made him feel like a little middle-shooler who was twitterpated, making his insides go all squirmy and fluttery… he still remembers, a few years back, when he had been trying to convince himself that a romantic relationship with Simmons was never gonna happen, and even if it did, Simmons probably wouldn’t be worth it; he was too awkward, they were BOTH too selfish and mean, it just wouldn’t work (this was a weak lie he told himself, in hopes of of snapping himself out of all the YEARNING).

Now they were together… and Simmons was affectionate, doting, and just amazingly intuitive. He loved knowing that he made Grif happy, loved being the one who gave Grif everything he needed. Grif discovered he could share his sweet side, and loving Simmons brought out the best in him. They still had their friendship, they teased and joked with each other… but now there was more. So much MORE, and it was so GOOD.

After they both laughed and finally settled down, Grif kissed Simmons again, this time on the forehead.

“Hey, remember that thing we planned to do, back when we were kinda being subtle about it? The thing if nobody figured out we were together after a year?” Grif asked.

“Mmm, I think they all figured it out by now... but, I remember we had a couple ideas. Which one were you thinking of? Put a picture of us kissing up on a billboard, or do song dedications to each other over the radio, or-” when they initially started dating, they wanted to keep it a secret for bit… and then it became a game, waiting to see when the others would notice.

“The New Year Kiss thing,” Grif provided the answer to his own question. The idea for that was, if nobody realized they were dating until the end of that year, Grif and Simmons would kiss on New Year’s Eve, in front of everybody, and then inform the group that they were several months into the relationship, just for the shock. However, they had finally decided to just share the news with everybody, starting with Tucker.

“Oh, yeah… haha, what about it?”

“When all the Christmas crap is done, WE should throw our own party. A Happy New Year party. We’re a real couple now, so we can do all that fun host stuff, right?” Grif turned on his side, so they fit together more closely.

“Sure, we can do that… you can finally gather all your favorite party snacks together,” Simmons said encouragingly.

“Hell yeah…”

“And I can show them how to have fun without going bonkers…” Simmons yawned, and Grif let out one short chuckle (he knew “having fun” for Simmons was creating an itinerary and making a detailed list of party games).

After a while, they shared more I-love-you's and a good-night... ironically, Grif doesn't drift off right away. He keeps thinking about how nice this has been, and how it has given him hope for more; the idea of "settling down" with somebody had never been too appealing when he was younger. His own insecurities and bat habits, plus having rotten taste in "romantic partners", did not equal an interest in long-term committed relationships. Now, Grif is pretty confident that he wants to be with Simmons for the rest of his life, and doesn't even question that Simmons feels the same.

Their apartment is nice, but maybe... maybe they could find an actual HOME together. Or build one. Could they build one? Or like- design it, then hire people to build it? Yeah, that would probably work better (if they tried to do it themselves, Sarge would "help", and then they'd wind up living in a replica of Red Base in some neighborhood somewhere). A home that was theirs, in a place they could pick, where their friends and family could visit... the word "family" echoes in Grif's head, and he's almost surprised by how NOT scary it is. He and Simmons- they could do that, together.

Well, not right NOW. Not tomorrow, or next week, or next month... but someday. Maybe next year.

[churchstopsurgeryscars]

Hey y'all if I tried to write even a short fic regarding this ship it would take weeks so here's my Reds and Blues Polycule Chart™️

Note: Platonic refers to Queer Platonic Partners not just standard friendships.

(Separate photos of each category and headcannons under the cut. CW for some NSFW themes)

(NSFW) Tucker and Kai tried being romantic partners, but realized that they were both just in it for the sex and decided to remain friends who have sex

(NSFW) Wash and Donut have had sex a total of 3 times and each time have been when Wash was so stressed out and lonely and Donut just decided to give him a hand. They don't speak of it and act like it never happened because Wash is embarrassed.

(NSFW) Donut, Grif, and Simmons have had multiple threesomes.

Wash, Carolina and Church are not genetic siblings but they consider themselves siblings because of their bond. People outside the polycule assume Carolina and Wash are dating and it offends them every time.

Sarge sees Simmons and Lopez as his sons and would protect them at all costs.

Grif and Kai...obviously

Church and Simmons ended up getting really close when Simmons decided to defect to Blue Team in Blood Gulch. They're a pair of massive nerds and love to discuss their favorite video games and TV shows. These discussions look like arguments to an outsider but they're having a great time

Doc, Kai and Donut all separately came to Locus with the goal of helping him experience life. Doc and Locus garden together. Kai takes him to a LOT of parties. And Donut has been teaching him about self care like makeup, skincare, bubble baths and things of the like. At first Locus was super overwhelmed by it but has grown to love his dorks

Locus and Church have this dynamic of two cats sitting on opposite sides of the couch to each other. They care about each other so much but hardly interact or say a word. They have this habit of giving each other gifts by just placing it on the other's bed without a word or even a note.

Sarge and Grif used to hate each other but over time have gotten to the point where they literally cannot handle not having each other around. If they go more than a week without seeing one another they get stressed.

Carolina and Grif became QPPs after Iris when Carolina started trying to process her trauma and figure out how to relax. They have a weekly hangout with just the two of them where they get so high and play videogames together.

Donut has put in a lot of effort to learn Spanish for Lopez. He struggled with it at first, but has gotten much much better. When not with Locus, Lopez is usually with Donut because he's one of the only people who can actually understand him.

Doc and Lopez ended up trauma bonding after their experience with Omega.

Caboose, understandably, has clung to Wash as a replacement for Church. However, over the years he has learned to love and rely on Wash in a way that goes beyond treating him as a rebound for Church.

(NSFW) Sarge and Donut first got together almost immediately during Blood Gulch after Donut made some sort of sex joke and Sarge was like "bet" then suddenly it wasn't a joke. They don't keep it a secret and yet nobody seems to know they're dating.

Simmons and Grif were the most painful relationship for everyone in the polycule to witness because they denied and denied and denied their love for each other for years. It wasn't until well after everything with Temple went down when they FINALLY started dating.

(NSFW) Locus and Grif started off with Locus getting so irritated and frustrated with Grif that he just had to fuck him about it. For a while Grif kinda clung to Locus like a lost puppy until recovering from the isolation of being alone on Iris for a couple months.

Doc and Donut started off with being close friends but after living together in Valhalla they realized they saw each other as more than friends.

After Locus joins Red Team (After the end of Season 15 in this AU), him and Lopez end up bonding really fast. While Doc and Donut know some Spanish, it's not the same as speaking with someone who is fluent in it. It's also nice to have someone who is more serious to talk to after being surrounded by maniacs and idiots for so long. They are the calm at the center of the storm that is the rest of the polycule, watching it all go by together and silently holding hands.

Locus and Wash got together after Wash got shot. In this AU, he stayed with him in the hospital and helped support him through rehab. They ended up bonding over their shared traumas and experiences with war and soon realized they had a lot in common.

Church and Tucker actually started dating all the way back in Blood Gulch. It's been on again, off again, but that's mostly because Church has this bad habit of dying and being effectively reincarnated. They really don't go on a lot of dates/do romantic shit, but they are very much in love. Their idea of a good time is sitting in lawn chairs, drinking beer and bullshitting.

Caboose never dated Alpha. In fact, Alpha really only ever saw him as a friend, and not even a close one. Epsilon, however, loved Caboose so much.

Wash and Tucker have such a strange dynamic. They argue like an old married couple, almost as bad as Grif and Simmons do. And they compliment each other so well. Wash helps Tucker to stay motivated and Tucker helps Wash to calm tf down for once.

Kai and Carolina are the newest couple in the polycule. They ended up getting close due to Grif's manipulation of always coming up with excuses for them all to do things together. Their relationship at this point mainly consists of the two of them sharing each other's interests with each other. Kai has found out through Carolina that she thinks MMA is really cool and Carolina has learned that she actually really likes making kandi jewelry.

[grif-hawaiian-rolls]

More RvB-GW2 au, for my soul

Thoughts on this au that live rent free in my head:

Sarge and Doc are min height asura, meaning they’re about as puntsized as you can get

Asura canonically have shark teeth. This is important bc i think sarge will try to bite ankles and/or kneecaps. Chomp chomp cockbite. Also, I think sharkface is going to be an asura bc of this.

Saltsprays are almost as much a pain in my ass to draw as Sangheili. Junior, the things i do for you

Church glows pure white, and its blinding. Caboose sleeps in Church’s room because Caboose uses Church like a nightlight. Junior sleeps in Church’s room for the same reason. Tucker sleeps in Church’s room for Junior’s sake. Basically? Everyone sleeps in Church’s room. Church hates this.

The lancer warband gets to live. Because its my au and i said so. Also? Snarky wash. I love snarky wash.

I have drawn gw2 au Locus, and know chunks of his plot. Felix is being a little bitch per usual and i’ve yet to figure HIM out. Very rude

Sylvari Donut is pink. He glows pink. He wears pink. He uses mesmer magic which is largely pink and purple. He still calls it lightish red. It’s magenta, at BEST. This is because Donut is a little shit. We love this for him

Caboose is technically a follower of Bear and Wolf, given he’s the only norn of the three actually… raised culturally norn. He’s sorta hit or miss on how well he does the whole “protect your family” aspect of the thing, literally. Three guesses on who figures this out

Junior can fly! He choses to perch on people’s backs instead. Yes, he learned this from Church. Church will never admit it

[fragmented-ghost]

More RvB + Transformers ideas: The AIs

Original Post / Sheila and Lopez focused post

While it's not set in stone yet the current idea for the AI is that most of them are cassettes who were captured by Freelancer along with their deployer

Freelancer is basically this universe's MECH equivalent, their main goal is to obtain or replicate Cybertronians and their technology

Who is the deployer? Why it's Beta Vertex, better known as Tex.

You might be wondering why it's not Church/Alpha, honestly it's because the idea of Church being a completely normal guy with nothing going on while his friends and family are dealing with giant alien robots was very funny to me and I'm committing to it

From the perspective of Church, Tucker, Grif, Simmons, and Donut, this au is a completely normal modern day slice of life story. Ignore the explosions and crashes in the background

Anyways Tex and her Cassettes were captured and experimented on by Freelancer, to the point none of them can really remember anything before Freelancer

Most of the Cassettes are paired with human agents (guess which ones), and are on missions primarily to infiltrate and record information, but a few can probably fight

The only ones to have escaped so far are Omega and Tex, I don't know if they escaped together, but if they did they've long split up

Tex has been roaming the country to keep Freelancer off her back

Her alt mode is a motorcycle, so she makes great use of her holomattter generator to create a human disguise. Her fake name is Texas

Omega has been living with Doc in his garage, Doc is shockingly good at keeping this secret

[jade-kyo]

RvB 20th rewatch: s3

And we’re at season 3. The point where I feel like the show really starts to find its identity!

I was trying to remember what the zealots were called and I accidentally called them faggots…

For me season 3 is really when the humor kicks into high gear

It really feels like this is when the characters identities found their footing and solidified

The O’Malley/Doc/Lopez/Vic/Wyoming evil team up is so brilliant, it cracks me up so much

“What was your code name?” “Nevada” Tex’s willingness to just fuck with people is great

This is also the season where Caboose became Sarges favorite blue

“So I guess if I’m not on the team and you’re not on the team then nobody’s on the god damn team! The team sucks” another heavily quoted line for me

I love that the guy named Wyoming has the most comical British accent

Tex calls Tucker her friend and I start frothing at the mouth

Allison name reveal from freaking Wyoming of all people

You know early on it really does seem like Grif wants to gain Sarges approval

The crackpot retcon time travel arc here makes more sense than the actual time travel arc in the shisno trilogy

Man Tucker really is the one who worries about Church the most

The domestic evil lifestyle with O’Malley, Doc, and Lopez is such a good bit

Ah yes grimmons parked in the shade for two hours…

Super strong Caboose introduction!!

“Well can we at least rule out the gay stuff?” Grif you’re the one who brought up gay me thinks you’re projecting

“I miss the old days when we didn’t risk our lives and you were all a bunch of nameless assholes I’d yell at with Church” THEY DONT KNOW THE HORRORS THAT ARE TO COME SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

THE SWORD!!!!!!!

I think it’s really interesting that Tucker doesn’t try to hype himself up about finding the sword- he just says it how it happened… idk I think it’s a good reflection of his character and what he’s actually like

Friendly reminder that Blood Gulch was an elaborate torture session to get the alpha to fragment more

CAPTAIN FLOWERS!!!!!

Since the time travel stuff with Church was a simulation does that mean Flowers actually had a heart attack or did the dude fr die from aspirin somehow unrelated to Church? Or was the time travel actually real and they were using Wyomings time distortion unit?? But like that was the only time travel that actually happened???

“Man first I kill myself then I realize I’m a honking dork” bro just like me fr

Requesting that Caboose speak at my funeral

“Mechanized… Americans” I cannot emphasize enough how much I love that line delivery it is one of my biggest vocal stims

Also a great example of how rvb has this sense of realness to its dialogue because people actually stutter and ramble on about a whole lot of nothing like that! It just makes the characters feel so relatable and real!

Church apologizing to Tex for getting her mixed up in everything and not being better for her and OH MY GOD THEY MAKE ME FERAL I AM ALSHAKBSKSHDKDH GOD HE HAS NO IDEA HE DOESNT KNOW WHAT THEYVE BEEN THROUGH!!!! HE DOESNT REMEMBER!!!!!!! YET HE STILL KNOWS SHE DESERVES BETTER AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

Tex loves being part of the shenanigans omg she’s so silly. It’s what she deserves.

SHISNO!!!

Chex divorced but still in love vibes are immaculate man I love them so much

DONUT SCREAM LIKE A WOMAN

I love how O’Malley understands Lopez yet didn’t know he was being told to say stuff about his butt by Lopez

Donut discovers his bloodlust

I don’t really have a ton to say about the blood gulch seasons cause they’re the silly goofy seasons but I always enjoy rewatching them. They’re such a blast!

[donut-entendre]

I'm a caboose guy I'm the donut guybut like pastrytain is literally nothing to me. Yeah it's cute whatever but they aren't dating 2 me it's literally pair the spare IMO. They have no romatic chemistry they're having little friendship kisses yeah sure but they can't date because caboose doesn't have a "bother him" button to bash relentlesslyand donut is too dense to be dated esp by someone who would play as loosy goosy with romance/platonic lines as caboose. He tries to matchmaker everyone else and he goes OH ROMANTIC at things but he doesn't fully register it as truly intended, much less for him. The donut problem happens with churchnut too but church also needs to be locked in horrible nasty codependence and donut has just enough self-determination(?) on his own to not get locked in like that and church. Would not want to depend on donut. Donut is far too incompatible with Church's actual wants/needs in a relationship Donut is all superficial appearance to him.

Docnut doesn't follow this but in practice with the average fan it does because they don't actually think about Doc on any level other than the surface in the first place. Doc experiences a lot of cognative dissonance with his beliefs vs his behavior n emotions and being with Donut untangles that a little because he's a living example of just. Donut doesn't really go out of his way to be kind or nice - he's a self-centered asshole, frankly - he just does what he wants when he wants and that's an influence that could help Doc a lot. And Doc makes Donut literally just be a better person because Donut just goes with whatever expectations are set of him, within reason. Donut brings down Doc's self-expectation of being a literal saint and never experiencing a single hostile feeling ever to the healthy expectation of just feeling what he feels and doing what he thinks is best in the moment. and Doc brings up Donut's behavioral expectations to above his 'default' to a point where he is genuinely a little kind within a healthy margin.

TLDR docnut winner of everything and they were both at their best selves when they were living alone together

[nullvoidface]

Wall!AU Main Three

(CuteGuy Villain AU)

All art in this post done by the lovely @shr00mgum

Read the fic HERE

Grian, pseudonym - CuteGuy

Hybrid-Status: Presumed avian

Not much is actually known about Grian as he keeps things to himself.

He was never a member of The Hermits, only working as a vigilante side-kick to HotGuy at most.

Five years ago he disappeared (and was presumed dead) due to The Wall incident. Now he’s back in the desert and more secretive than ever.

He’s extremely focused on his plan, which will be revealed in due time.

He’s currently struggling with balancing being on the run and trying to make it big as a villain.

Though he doesn’t want to kill anyone, focusing much more on sending a message.

He’s got one foot in the past, and one in the future. Plagued by overthinking every current moment as well as remembering his past and trying his best to suppress what once was and justify to himself what he’s currently working on.

Random fact: Grian once tried to make Mumbo the mayor of El Santuario. It didn’t work.

(Song I associate with Grian: AJJ - A Big Day For Grimley)

Mumbo Jumbo, Pseudonym - None at the moment

Hybrid-status: Human

Mumbo moved to the desert with not a penny to his name after being kicked out by his parents at 16 due to him being trans. This turned out to be an awful idea as had it not been for the mad scientist known as Doc, he probably would’ve spent more than a year as homeless. Doc picked him up off the streets after hearing about the kid’s redstone abilities that he used as a smalltime-villain.

After a few years working for Doc, Iskall decided to take him in. The two worked together on various projects, and would primarily do bank heists/robberies to earn enough to get their weapons company up and running.

Mumbo was caught by The Hermits, and due to his young age they decided to offer him a new chance to get “on the right path” (possibly due to Scar taking a liking to him).

He grew close with The Hermits, but after the loss following The Wall, he went back to Iskall. The two have worked and lived together since then.

He’s struggling quite a lot with the fact that Grian is back, part of him is convinced it’s all a dream, or maybe he has finally lost it. He sleeps less, his appetite is gone, our poor Mumbo is not doing great when we first meet him in the fic.

Random fact: Mumbo faints at the sight of blood

(Song I associate with Mumbo: PUP - Totally Fine)

Scar, Pseudonym - HotGuy

Hybrid-status: [CLASSIFIED]

Growing up in El Santuario, Scar was a pretty active kid and went onto become a skilled archer, even competing in other parts of the continent. However, this eventually came to a stop when Scar fell ill with an unknown disorder.

He decided to challenge himself to become a hero, starting out as a simple vigilante with a bow and arrows, he could be found perched on rooftops saving him from close-combat.

Eventually he was recruited into the Hermits and quickly gained an even larger fanbase than before. He had quite a hold on the media as well, and when Xisuma had to leave El Santuario for a few months Scar was picked as the man in charge.

This, however, was when The Wall appeared. He had kept close to Grian as usual, until he was forced to split from him.

Some media sources blamed Scar for the loss of an unofficial Hermit, leading Scar to leave the Hermits for a while until he could finally be convinced to rejoin the group.

When Grian was gone Scar focused more on unravelling the ties of the criminal network that runs through the city like blood vessels. This is done completely outside of work with the Hermits as the government refuses to fund his search for answers. “Surely it’s tied to Grian somehow, right?”

Scar is appalled that a new villain would ruin Grian’s “good name” and considers CuteGuy a rival.

Random fact: Scar’s cat Jellie has been the employee of the month every single month except for one. This was because Tango brought donuts in on his shifts for the entire month.

(Song I associate with Scar: Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill)

[sabotourist]

Some thoughts on season 19

This is probably going to be one of the most personal things I ever post on social media. But I have some thoughts.

Sarge and Doc died. Doc wasn't even killed on-screen. Was barely even mentioned until the end. He died having only saved two people in his entire career as a medic. Sarge died, and Donut wasn't even there to see it happen.

Was he off grieving Doc? Was he just doing other stuff? I don't know. But he was gone.

Why was he actually gone? Probably for budget reasons. Time constraints. Studio trouble and issues with the engine or model or whatever else. Writing constraints that forced Donut and Doc into such secondary roles. Into dying off screen. Into not even being there when two people you care so much about die.

But like, how much of that was actually in the narrative's control? They had these limitations to write around, and it put these characters in situations where they couldn't be in narratively satisfying roles.

In some ways, it's the most brutal depiction of what life is like.

When I was 14, I lost touch with my best friend. I just didn't keep my phone on me often at the time. He died. I think, if he had lived, he would have gone on to do some absolutely amazing things. He didn't get to. He called me a couple days before it happened. I didn't see it.

Death isn't fair. But it's not the end.

I think, if the story had had more time, these characters could have had better roles. But life isn't always so kind. Death isn't always so kind. We lose people when we're not looking. We blink and people are gone.

Doc, Sarge, Church, and Tex are dead. Wash was in an institution again. Tucker just went through all that. Grif went back to earth.

That's... that's brutal. Why don't I hate it? On paper, I'd hate it.

I think it might be because it doesn't feel like a goodbye, or even the end. There are loose ends. A lot of them. There's so much pain there, so much healing and moving on to be done. Just because Grif went back to earth doesn't mean he and Simmons don't call all the time. Just because Donut wasn't here to maybe save Sarge doesn't mean he won't be there eventually.

Just because Doc only saved two people doesn't mean it didn't matter.

Life is brutal. Death is brutal. Shit happens. Shit that isn't fair. Whether it's people we love dying, or just studio drama fucking a show.

But... that doesn't mean it's the end.

Doesn't mean Simmons is going to be alone, doesn't mean Doc died for nothing, doesn't mean Sarge's sacrifice meant nothing, doesn't mean Wash or Tucker's lives are ruined, or that Caboose can't have a new best friend.

I like to imagine Donut taking up medical studies after this. Doc saved him. He's going to make damn sure that matters. Maybe Blood Gulch becomes something of a boot camp for some future loser rejects in need of a home that Simmons can guide.

Church, in all his forms, may be gone. But that doesn't mean they're going to be so quick to forget. Leave the past in the past. But still look back from time-to-time. It got you where you were.

Sometimes we pass memories down through stories. Sometimes, just in the choices we make throughout our lives.

But just... unfair things happened. To the show, and to the characters in it. To the people running it. My best friend died when he was 14. Monty Oum died in his prime. Life is tragic. But hey, it's not the end. It's just the start of something new.

Maybe it isn't perfect. Maybe it isn't ideal. Maybe it hurts. Maybe it'll never stop hurting. But it can still be beautiful. it still has meaning.

It may just be a silly show about Halo dudes, but it matters.

Tl;dr: Raven is stupidly sentimental right now

[bloodgulchblog]

Okay okay okay okay. I will dump a list of thoughts and feelings here:

good god rvb get better jokes, a couple were still pretty good but woof. the "you guys are so predictable i could leave a prerecorded message" bit was incredibly stale and i felt like the zoom call joke went on for 15 years.

red team's interactions in the early part of this while sarge is still there are so rote, man.

yes caboose's voice is different, i was curious about how they were going to handle that. (there was a falling out with the old guy, i mostly just know he said some shit during the george floyd protests but looking it up it sounds like something had happened earlier and he'd been laid off in 2019.)

fascinated that sarge's death stuck, but i've always thought grif and simmons without sarge was interesting, so. why not. i feel like with red team especially here, the whole point is that life moves on? this is very much a "you grow up and move on from the things you loved when you were young" kind of story and sarge is one of the most big goofy cartoon parts of the show, so ending him and having grif and simmons figure out how to move on from him has meaning i guess. the older people who shaped your world inevitably pass out of it. not to give rvb too much credit, but hey.

poor tucker, but i still think maybe having an incredibly angsty unexplored subplot might be better than having to spend 2 seasons having all his character growth dissolved away in favor of absent father jokes and whatever the fuck all that shit was in 16

live commentary on the whole thing with red team acting like they were abandoning caboose and then coming back to help him:

also this:

simmons you poor nerd i'm sorry it took all the way to here to give you anything, wasn't expecting this to be a good season for simmons of all people but at least he got something.

THE REAL CURVEBALL WAS I NEVER EXPECTED THEM TO GET KATHLEEN ZUELCH TO REPRISE TEX EVER AGAIN, i was going to make a crack about how tex getting a better ending would've never been on my bingo card in a billion years but i'm actually not sure this counts because i never cared about chex enough to think about it that hard. raincheck.

tex protecting carolina is nothing but it's also everything.

i'm stupid and missed that doc was dead for a while holy shit that's actually really sad and on the one hand oof, but on the other hand i love really sad things. fuck.

restoration donut only coming back for one last stupid fucking gay joke in an aside vs season 17 centering donut and how he was always such a neglected character. hmm. hmmmmm. hmmmmmmmmm.

it's sad wash wasn't there more, but i really did love "wash throws himself off a cliff to intentionally injure himself and summon carolina instead of contacting her in a more normal way" for him.

and i love that if something bad happens to wash carolina will come down on whatever it is like a hammer from orbit. at the very least, it made me so happy to have it reinforced one last time how much those two mean to one another before the end. after everything i enjoy a moment of them being okay.

overall i do think the group splitting up in pieces feels better to me than them all living together in a big weird codependent cluster forever, it feels like a braver and more true ending, but it's one of those things where season 17 was so much better at thinking about the inner lives of a bunch of characters that it's hard for me to say this is clearly better without reservation in all areas. like, sometimes people matter to you intensely for a big chunk of your life but then you have to move on. and fuck, maybe that's not even forever, but i feel good about grif getting to finally go home and i feel good about grif and simmons saying goodbye to one another and trying to be normal about it. let them have some space from one another. they need space to decide who they are with this part of their lives being over.

nothing they did here can stop me from shipping that and i can very easily fanfic out an ending for them in my brain from this. i'm fine. i'm thriving.

POOR POOR TUCKER, please hug tucker, he has to be going through so much right now.

i wonder if locus, somewhere out there, feels like he dodged a bullet and doesn't know why. (i wish he'd had to deal with red team one last time)

idk i probably have more thoughts kicking around feel free to talk to me i've been so insane about this for so long it's my oldest brainrot-

[rubykgrant]

If each RvB character (or you could just do the Blood Gulch Crew) was an AI, what would their trait be? What one word defines each of them?

I had this little vague idea for a Sim Trooper/Freelancer/AI Swap AU; that is, the Freelancers were all regular Sim Troopers in Blood Gulch, the AI were humans who were the actual Freelancers (all with code-names for the Greek Alphabet), and the original Reds and Blues were AI Fragments! Church was still the Alpha, but after taking his memories away, other scientists in the UNSC wanted the Director to DO something actually useful with the AI, so they stuck him in a robot body and told him he was "Agent Alpha". He has a reputation for always surviving terrible situations (so people that don't actually know him think he's so bad-ass and cool... but he just keeps not dying because he's already an AI). He also has a habit of getting really lucky with technology (again, he's doing AI stuff, but he doesn't KNOW he's doing it). The Director also put the Beta AI in a robot body, but decided to keep her safe from dangerous situations, and she got sent to a Sim Trooper base (ironically, Tex and Carolina get along really well over there on Blue Team).

In this scenario, when Alpha created the Fragments, they didn't originally have designations to help him deal with problems, but each was meant to be a companion (which I think the original Fragments also would have been, if SOMEBODY hadn't been a jerk about taking them away), and thus had "people names". Even with their memories erased, they still hold on to the names Alpha used. Tucker is sort of the Epsilon, because he holds on to all the memories, and refuses to forget. As AI Assistants to the Freelancers, the Fragments are given designations to help identify what their strengths and traits-

Caboose is Friendship (come on, what else~).

Simmons, ironically, could also be Ambition (though, unlike Sigma's ambition for himself, with Simmons it is more like "the ambition to live up to other people's expectations, hoping for their approval/attention". it's a nice way of calling him a suck-up with anxiety).

Sarge can be Determination (whatever idea he has, he just goes full-throttle on it).

Grif is Relaxation (the scientists think he's just "the lazy Fragment", but he reminds people to take a break, calm down, eat/sleep... he's actually VERY important).

Donut can be Drama (is he happy? then he's gonna be JOYOUS. is he angry? then he's gonna be FURIOUS. also, he likes to gossip).

Since Omega is a Freelancer, Doc and O'Malley are a pair of duo AI, maybe they can be Kindness and Mischievous (you need them both to balance things out; Doc can be so eager to help, he ignores personal harm. O'Malley is not entirely "selfish", but tempers the selfless reflex with some caution, and also provides an outlet for anger/unhappy thoughts. if you never voice your problems, they just bubble up. together, they give new meaning to the phrase "kill them with kindness").

Kai is Indulgence (party-party-party!).

Tucker is Hope (no matter how small it seems, hope is hard to kill~)

[lordsireno]

VsDestiny - RvB/Destiny AU info dump

Okay so yonks ago I said I'd info dump on the VsDestiny (RvB/Destiny AU) - Well better late than never- I've dug up the old doc :'D @randomfandoms153 this is basically for you because your tags reignighted my heart <3

The setting is basically RvB shenanigans in the Destiny world. The Red Clan and the Blue Clan live on the outskirts of the last city, since the Vanguard considers them too destructive to have in the tower (They can come in for bounties and the postmaster). They spend their days shooting each other in crucible or lazing about- until these 'Freelancers' bring along a bunch of drama. Project Freelancer is what emerged from the ashes of a failed offshoot of the Clovis Bray company, where the Director attempted to artificially make Guardians.

More details under the cut! Oh and other art can be found under #VsDestiny .

Reds:

Sarge (Titan class) is the foremost expert on Exos, being one of the top engineers from the Clovis offshoot in his previous life. He was brought on as a soldier but found to have great skill with robotics. These days his work is primarily subconscious, where he glazes over when in repair mode. Standard robots like frames are his passion to work on, and his favourite creation is Lopez, who he built from scraps. He’s always looking for bigger and better firearms to add onto his eventual robot army! His ghost is called 'Shotgun'.

Simmons (Warlock class) is an experimental Exo type made by the offshoot, and its partly why he’s so drawn to Sarge. He appears human until his first death on the fireteam, where the fake skin on his left cheek does not regenerate. The sight of exposed metal begins to cause mental degradation (DER), but it’s thankfully stopped by Grif and the antics of the other Reds. His Ghost is called 'Ghost'

Grif (Hunter Class) has the highest death count, solely thanks to Sarge. He uses invisibility to get out of chores, and has tired to use Blade Barrage to light an oven. His Ghost is called 'Oreo'

Donut (Warlock Class) enjoys creating a fashion and loadout for every occasion, and has a scary amount of grenade stacks. His Ghost is called 'Little O'

Lopez (Wears Sarge's titan armor) - While technically only classed as a frame, he is intelligent and made with Exo parts.

Blue Clan:

Church (Hunter Class) awoke outside the city one day, and regretfully attracted other rouge guardians. He is an experimental Exo type and looked human up until his 'death', where upon he spoke through his Ghost Alpha (because it houses his true core) until Sarge fixed him.

Tucker (Hunter Class) While out patrolling, Tucker stumbled upon a young Eliksni. Unable to bring himself to kill it, and not willing to leave it alone in the elements (No other Fallen had been sighted in the area for months) he brings it back to Blue Base. Church complains about the alien smell, but after dealing with Caboose’s own attachment to alien things, didn’t fight about keeping it. It is dubbed Junior. His Ghost is 'Crunchbite'

Caboose (Titan Class) Has a strong connection to alien tech. No one knows how Caboose managed to sweet talk a Fallen Walker into coming home and joining the fireteam. Caboose claims he and Sheila have a special connection. He has the highest Guardian kill count, mostly thanks to Church. His Ghost is called 'Freckles'

Texas (Titan Class) is as terrifying a fighter and an enigma of a person as always. Likes to challenge people to 1v1 matches.

Freelancer:

The Director picked up the remains of the Clovis offshoot and merged it with his own plan to make artificial guardians for the universal defence force. His first creation was Alpha, an experimental exo with a copy of his personality. The ghost ‘alpha’ is actually just the personality core. 

His experiment forces Freelancers to bond to Fragments of the original Alpha, killing them, which links them to ‘the light’ and allows them to revive. However, the actual process isn’t as perfect as assumed. 

The Fragments are weaker than standard Ghosts and must remain out during the full revival. They can be destroyed by ordinary weapons, and unless requested, won’t heal injuries over time. 

When a Fragment revives its Freelancer, it temporally overrides their consciousness to allow the body to be moved from further harm, and to piece back together their mind. The more adjusted the Fragment, the faster this occurs and lets the Freelancer to resume control. Similarly, the less adjusted Fragments are prone to remaining in control even after recovery. As well, the more times the Freelancer dies, the more time it takes to revive them, as their minds begin to dissipate and have to be wholly supported by the Fragments to continue to live. 

York, North and Wyoming all seem fine, but when it comes to Maine the issue becomes apparent as Sigma puppets him much longer. When Carolina requests two, they fight over her revival. 

Washington was the last Guardian made in the program, before its complete collapse. His Deaths are: Original bonding, the MoI crash, Recovery One, and saving Tucker. His Fragment is Epsilon, and after the MoI crash, he refuses to accept its existence. He doesn’t summon it, using old school tech like flashlights and radios, and will always physically get in and out of his ship. If asked Wash only offers the explanation that he isn’t on good terms with his ghost. 

After his third death at the hands of South, he remains as Epsilon for two days. 

When he saves Tucker, the Blues learn of how Epsilon puppets Washington after death. Tucker is creeped out by how only Epsilon speaks, and how like Church it is. Caboose believes that Church is trying to communicate with him and tells Epsilon their early adventures. 

And thiiiis was as far as I got apparently! Feel free to expand/alter if anything takes your interest!

[clocks-are-round]

HELLO??

found this in my google docs. apparently i wrote it in November 2022. I didn’t realize I had snippets lost on there. I thought all the unexpanded snippets of ideas were just in my phone notes

——

“Don’t you ever get tired of hiding?”

“From Sarge? Never. I’d rather

“I mean, I’m as stealthy as a secret agent, but you aren’t as good at hiding some things as you think.” Donut chuckled. They had no idea.

–

Grif looked up, he wouldn’t even dedicate the effort to a full eye roll. Everyone knew. Everyone knew Donut was gay, but he seemed to think it was some well-guarded secret.

Hell, he and Simmons suspected Donut and Sarge had a fling early on. And they weren’t even trying to find that out, that was the last thing either of them wanted to think about. Sarge and Donut getting sweaty together– ohh gross now he was thinking about it.

Sure Grif was afraid to come out in the beginning because of homophobia but now he knew nobody gave that much of a shit. At least about Donut. Now it would just be weird to come out at all. What was he supposed to do? Just announce “oh by the way, I’m gay”?? And who knows how that news would affect Simmons. The man lived on repression and overthinking. He’d overthink and suddenly things would be awkward between them. The unlabeled… whatever it was they had was better.

——

anyways just thought it was a fun read, though very unfinished

[starshineandbooks]

Bottom of the river (long way down) Character intros [A-Z]

This is for my fic Bottom of the river (long way down). The masterpost for this can be found here.

There are some ocs but since the premise is Timetravel of the future kids it can't be helped.

Content under the cut

Agent Carolina

An ex-freelancer with an air of confidence. Carolina may join the party late, but she isn’t any less important. While she left without a goodbye, she dosen’t leave the others hanging. Ambitious and willing to get her hands dirty, she makes for a good leader. Her experience in combat is plenty helpful, too.

"The past doesn't define who you are. It just gives you the starting point of who you're going to be."

Agent Washington

Another ex-freelancer, Washington, is relearning how to live now that his entire world view has been destroyed. Having to recover from everything to do with the Meta and now facing the loss of half his new group is enough to make anyone feel stressed. He's going to do anything to get the rest of the team back safe.

"And that's fine. This is fine."

Aspen Church

Adopted child of Carolina and nonbinary. Calmer than the majority of their friendgroup and skilled in mixed martial arts, Aspen is always there to support their friends.

"Don't you dare ask how bad it can get, I promise you don't want the answer."

Ben Tucker

The oldest of the twins, son of Washington and Tucker. Ben loves some good fun and often gets in trouble. He can hold his own, though, between his wrestling ability and love of blades, he is anything but defenseless.

"Come on, I bet you can't back flip from there, chicken!"

Cassie Tucker

The younger twin, daughter of Wash and Tucker. She's always trying to keep her brother out of trouble, though she should really worry about her tendency to get into fights.

"Say that again, I thought I heard you ask for me to kick your bigoted ass."

Dexter Grif

Grif isn't inclined to do a whole lot unless he sees a benefit he likes. He's often next to Simmons, usually complaining and / or slacking off. He has a foul mouth and a love of snack food. This war and the rations are wearing on his will to do shit.

"I'm gonna spit on you, Simmons!"

Dick Simmons

Simmons is a cyborg with a tax machine for his butt and a kiss ass. Trying to deal with being promoted without warning and the loss of his commanding officer he falls into the comfort that is Grif. Or at least the bickering that Grif provides.

"See? That's what you get for arguing with science, you stupid bitch."

Doc

Doc is a medical officer with questionable methods of healing. A pacifist who has a homicidal A.I sharing his body, he has a lot on his mind. But he has a good heart and is trying his best to get everyone home alive.

"So what's up, is somebody hurt or what?"

Epsilon

An A.I. program that's all the memories of torture and pain from the original program he split off of and the man he was based on. Epsilon is often called Church, and has a smart mouth but a deep loyalty to the simtroopers and Carolina. He is an asshole alright, but don't let him fool you he's got a plan.

"My sincerest apologies, I had no idea you had turned into such a whiny bitvh while I was gone."

Franklin Delano Donut

Donut is the heart of Red team, or so he says. He has a way with words to make anything a euphemism. He's energetic and unashamed of his emotions. He swears he speaks Spanish but he really should leave that behind. Will his love of glitter end up being helpful this time?

“If I can’t beat off a room full of dudes, what have I been training for?”

Lavernius Tucker

Tucker is probably the most capable non freelancer in the group. He's a flirt with a love for his shitty catchphrase. Now, he's stepping up to fill a role because the others need a leader, and he guesses it's him.

"I have glorious calves and a miserable fucking life!"

Lani Grif-Simmons

The daughter of Grif and Simmons, she's got too much attitude. She has authority problems and only listens when she wants to. A mouth to rival any of the adults who raised her and an intelligence she often ignores. Lani is capable but falls victim to bickering often.

"Shut the fuck up, I didn't ask for your dumb ass opinion you dipshit."

Lopez

Lopez is tired of everything and everyone. He only speaks Spanish but understands everyone around him. He would be totally okay alone but no one will leave him alone. His creator is insane.

"eso es porque está loco."

Michael J Caboose

Caboose is not the brightest highlighter in the bunch, often deemed childish for his behavior. His thought process is impossible to replicate, and his love runs deep. He makes friends wherever he goes, but it is a hazard to his team.

"Do you think freckles would look silly in a hat?"

Sarge

The eccentric older man with roots in the south. He created Lopez, loves to fuck with Grif, and has a deep sense of pride. He adores his shotgun and really likes to tinker. It's a miracle he hasn't died.

"I wanna know what in the name of Benedict Arnold Palmer is going on around here!"

Violet Dufranse

The only daughter of Doc and Donut, she's cheerful and confident. She's got a real talent as a pitcher in softball amd will occasionally hurl things in self defense. Violet enjoys gardening and is often found near one of her dad's in her off time. While she prefers not to fight, she will.

"Can someone explain the grif cubes to me one more time? I'm still confused on the activation method."

Zach James

Caboose's nephew, he's calm and reserved. Zach is about to start his medical school after a year abroad, he wants to go to college with the rest of his friends. He's patient, but he has the same height his uncle does, very tall. He is the keeper of his friends and likes to maintain that he gets dragged into chaos.

"If you're going to be stupid, at least take the first aid kit. Please."