#i would love to bust out the whiteboard and explain my reasons for every little design choice but!

[pareidolla]

Cold lover anon-

Gshshshhs thank you for pals to follow, am new to this fandom but STP has grabbed me and won’t let go. I’ve written so much shit for it (that I’ll probably not upload anywhere lol)

We will love our voices forever damnit

wahh sorry for how like i took to answer ❄️ anon >< i've doodled cold a whole bunch since this ask but my brain would always fizzle out when it came to his clothes. i have a vision in mind that these cursed hands cannot accurately poetry

so i did the reasonable thing and slapped an x-ray over him! he's a doctor so it's not that much of a lazy move (lie)

i can't say if i'm satisfied with his appearance just yet because, on the one hand, i don't think he's distinctive enough from the other voices but on the other side... awooga man with long hair. i am however slapping a big NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FINAL PRODUCT on his clothes (my beloathed!)

[inkbun]

hello! i'm rly in love with your writing and i was wondering if you could write for fic for pharah's s/o meeting ana for the first time? tysm!

Yeaaa boiiiiii, although I’m 700% gay for Ana so I had to resist the urge to shift the prompt focus. No pronouns so gender neutral here. Enjoy! ☕️

Pharah

Words: 1,522

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Romance

“You’ll be fine.”

“She’s a sniper, Fareeha,” you said, checking the building rooftops around you. “She can kill me before I even know she’s taken aim! There’s a reason they called her Horus.”

Even so, there were uglier places to get sniped by your girlfriend’s mother. Bordeaux was a lovely city, its Gothic architecture and brick like a fairytale come to life. The air smelled like grass and fresh bread, April sunshine warming the cobbles just enough to be pleasant. 

You and Pharah had been an item for little more than a year.

You met her at a Helix fundraiser, your PR agency assigning you to write about the event for their client. It was boring—a bunch of uptight soldiers extolling their performance in an endless procession of speeches and medals. 

You left once you’d gotten your scoop, hurrying out the back door before anyone could realize there was a tray of choux puffs missing.

Ducking into a nearby cafe, you alternated between jotting a draft and eating pastries from your bag when a 5'11" goddess in Helix blue sat across from you. Her shoulders were studded with medals, eyes rimmed with kohl painted in a Horus pattern. 

Afraid you’d been busted, you held the open bag out to her.

“If you’re here for the cream puffs, I surrender,” you’d said, taking a sip of your tea. Pharah looked between you and the bag, confusion on her face.

“I’m here for you. It seems I’ve found the only other person who hates award ceremonies more than I do.” She took a few puffs, brow raised. You smiled at your new partner in crime. She was imposing and gorgeous—skin deep brown, hair jet black, no-nonsense air evident in the way she moved.  

And here she was, eating cream puffs with you. Realizing this was some sort of oddball, pseudo first date, you smiled. “I’m _______.”

She smiled mischievously, brown eyes glittering under the low cafe lights. “Fareeha.”

Now, you were on your way to meet her mother, renowned sniper and Overwatch legend, Ana Amari. You knew she and Pharah had a falling out some time ago about Ana faking her own death, but it seems they were trying to make amends. 

Ana regularly texted Pharah about her day, though your girlfriend rarely mentioned you. At first, you thought it was out of embarrassment, though you knew better now.

Fareeha didn’t trust her.  A week ago Ana sent you both a text, never explaining how she’d found your number.  

“________, Fareeha—I’m traveling to Bordeaux for a meeting with the Overwatch council. Would you care to join me for tea? You don’t have to stay long, but I’d like to meet the person my daughter loves enough to keep from me.”

The two of you decided to take her up on the offer, using some ample time off you’d accrued.

“I told you to stay out of her personnel file—it’ll only freak you out,” Pharah said, guiding you through the crowd. 

You rolled your eyes. “Meeting parents is never easy. I always get all…twitchy.”

“Don’t worry—my mother knows better than to try anything with me there,” she said, squeezing your waist. There was such determination in her voice you wondered if you’d have to play intermediary. 

“Besides, you’re not planning on breaking my heart are you,_______?”

“Never,” you said, gently kissing her cheek. 

Up ahead you spotted the bakery, saw the wealth of delicious pastry in the window and the cute tables set up outside. 

You also saw a hawk-like woman poised at one of the tables, long white braid draped over her black blazer and red shirt. She pretended to take a sip, though her amber eye snapped to you, then Pharah as you neared. 

Deciding to head off any awkward greetings, you waved and led the way. 

“You must be Ana,” you said, extending a hand. She glanced at it, then at you, shrewd smile on her face. “I’m _________. Nice to meet you.”

“Bold move, getting the ‘hello’ part out of the way. I see why you like them, Fareeha,” Ana said, shaking your hand with a firm grip.

“Mother—”

“Relax, child, I’m only joking. Now, how about you get your poor lover something to eat? They look hungry.“ 

Pharah looked at you for confirmation you’d be alright. You nodded, then asked her for a latte and a plate of macarons. She left, hair charms and leather jacket buckles jingling all the way. Once she was gone, you turned back to Ana, ready for rapid-fire inquiry. 

It never came. You winced, toying with the paper napkin and waiting for it to hit. 

“You love my daughter.” It wasn’t phrased as a question, and you didn’t have to think about the answer.

Since she’d entered your life, Pharah awakened the care and passion you often hid away for your job. Objectivity went out the window, the two of you finding joy in even the smallest things—mandatory Chinese takeout and 90s shows on her Thursdays off from sentry duty, a funny note scribbled on the fridge whiteboard. 

She was so much more than the protector persona she donned for work. 

You knew her favorite ice cream (chocolate cardamom), the thing she liked least about Helix (their new slushfund for covert ops) and what she hoped for most (a pharaoh hound and an apartment outside the city). 

“Yes, very much.”

“Well, she adores you—trusts me enough to behave, and thinks you’re strong enough to withstand her villainous mother,” Ana snorted, taking another sip of tea. 

If Pharah looked anything like Ana when she got older, you were all too lucky.

Every movement was laced with elegance—from her knowing smirk to the flick of her wrist as she straightened out the bracelets on her hand. She was even effortless while adjusting her eyepatch, shifting it so the tiny scarred portion was instantly covered up. 

“That’s an exaggeration,” you said, glancing inside at Pharah. She was at the counter, picking out what looked like at least 12 macarons and 2 croissants. Your stomach grumbled in anticipation. 

“You lied to her, let her grieve, yes. But she doesn’t see you as a villain, Ana. She just wants to know you’re back for good this time.”

For all her posturing and sly quips, Ana seemed hurt by the rift between herself and her daughter. 

Pharah sat you down and told you everything. What you couldn’t tell from her side of the story was how sincerely regretful she was. 

Sitting across from you, Ana Amari looked hollow. Without warning, she flipped the patch up so you could see the jagged scar tissue where her eye had been. It was sad, but not nearly as gruesome as you’d anticipated.

“I wanted to protect her from this,” she said quietly, watching Pharah inside the bakery. “Talon came after me something fierce, _________. She’s  my girl—there’s no way I could have come out of hiding if I thought she was in danger for a second.”

“You love your daughter,” you said, smiling softly at her.

“Very much.”

There was a bitterness in the way she polished off her drink, swallowing hard like she wished it was liquor. Against all common sense, you reached out to her, if only to assure her you understood. You gave her fingers a quick squeeze, ignoring her surprise.

“She loves you too, Ana—that much hasn’t changed. Sure, she may be a little uneasy, but she still has all your pictures on the walls, even keeps the one in your Overwatch uniform above the fireplace. Give her a little time and I promise she’ll reach out.”

“Fareeha said all that?“ 

You shook your head, watching as Pharah made her way out of the bakery back to your table. 

Turning to Ana, you winked. “She doesn’t have to. I love her, remember?”

The rest of your brunch went well, with you munching on lavender macarons and Pharah chattering about the goings on at Helix. To your delight, the Amaris kept things civil, neither venturing near the hot-button topics. 

Ana kept her eyepatch off and you chimed in with crazy client stories whenever there was a lull. All the while Ana’s gaze switched between you two, tension gone from her shoulders.

She didn’t bother hugging you when it was time to leave, but you didn’t need her to. The gratitude on her face was enough. 

Back at the hotel that night, you and Pharah lounged on the bed, French infomercials droning in the background. She watched you thoughtfully, quiet until you finally asked what was on her mind. 

“My mother likes you,” she said, brow knitted.

You shrugged. “I guess. How can you tell?" 

Pharah kissed your forehead, pulling you tighter against her as you two watched a mustached man try to sell a baguette maker. 

"Last time I brought a date, she kept her sidearm on the table.”

[thewritenerd]

Victor and Adam: NaNoWriMo Day 28

***

The next morning at breakfast Victor waited for Adam to say something about the night before. But he went about his day as if nothing had happened. Victor wasn’t sure if he was relieved by this or not. When he’d finished eating he folded up his paper and stood up. ‘Oh before I forget Dr Ramaker’s coming round for lunch.’ Justine swallowed a half chewed piece of toast. How she didn’t choke he had no idea. ‘You aren’t still friends with Ratmaker.’ Adam frowned at her. ‘That’s not a very nice thing to call him.’ He scolded. ‘Adam.’ Victor warned. Then he turned to Justine. ‘He recently got back in touch with me with a, business proposal. I turned him down and well he thought he’d use the visit as a chance to extend an olive branch regardless.’ Justine scoffed. ‘After what he did he’d need to extend the whole tree if it was me. And even then I’d have to be in a really, really good mood.’ ‘What did he do?’ Adam asked. He looked to Justine who looked at Victor with her I’m not telling them face. Victor sighed. ‘When we were younger, about Justine’s age. The two of us went to college together. Both studying science. Anyway we did a lot of experiments together. But I also liked to do things apart. For some reason Ramaker couldn’t accept that. One day he snuck into the lab got out my experiment and tried to, improve it.’ He said the last part through gritted teeth. ‘What was the experiment?’ Adam asked. Victor shook his head. ‘I was trying to see if I could splice mushroom DNA into other plants so they’d grow at the same rate.’ Adam nodded and for a moment Victor could have sworn he looked impressed. ‘So what happened? After Dr Ramaker intervened.’ ‘I’m not sure what he did but the next day someone found the science room covered in mushrooms. The whole room, including several other experiments were completely ruined. Of course I got the blame because it was my experiment. I confronted Ramaker and he confessed but wouldn’t admit it to the professors. And since I had no proof beyond a private conversation there was no way they’d believe me. I ended up getting a temporary suspension, meaning I could replay the next year.’ ‘But you never did.’ Justine cut in. ‘You ran off and hid yourself away in this old castle.’ ‘And I’ve achieved more in this castle then I would ever have at that place.’ ‘Yeah I suppose you did.’ Justine agreed looking at Adam who didn’t seem to notice.

***

Ramaker arrived at 11:45 a little earlier than planned. ‘Victor! How lovely to invite me. Oh and is this little Justine. My she has grown.’ He held his hand out which she took begrudgingly. Then Ramaker turned to Adam. ‘Adam my boy. How are you? I heard about your arm terrible thing to happen. Here.’ He reached into his bag and pulled out a gift bag. ‘A little get well present from me. It’s not much but well it’s the thought that counts.’ Adam took the bag in his good hand. ‘Well shall we go somewhere where you can open it?’ Ramaker asked. ‘We can sit in the living room until lunch is ready.’ Victor replied. The living room was not a room Victor frequented. It was a rather dark room, with it’s dark red walls, dark wood floor and small windows. The sofas which, were a dark grey leather, sat in a u shape so no matter where you sat you could see the tv. The chandelier hung so low Adam had to duck under it on his way across the room. He sat on the sofa at the far end of the room. Ramaker sat close to him while Victor and Justine sat in the sofa facing him. Setting the bag down Adam reached in and pulled out a comic book. ‘It’s about a girl who’s an inventor. Who invents a new way to travel through space. But something goes wrong and she ends up getting trapped in another universe.’ Ramaker explained. Adam nodded. ‘Thank you.’ He said as he began to flip through the pages. ‘Why are there so many pictures?’ he asked. ‘It’s a comic.’ Justine replied. ‘They tell their stories mostly thorough pictures and dialog.’ Adam nodded and continued to flick through. ‘So how have you been Justine, didn’t know you were visiting?’ ‘I’m staying here for a few months. Until I go off to college.’ Ramaker raised an eyebrow. ‘Never had you down as a college girl.’ He commented. ‘Well I’ve applied to two of the top three colleges in the country. And before you get snarky I did it on teacher recommendation.’ ‘So what are you studying?’ he asked. ‘Law.’ This stopped Ramaker in his tracks and even Victor had to do a double take. ‘I’m going to be a lawyer. Not entirely sure what kind. Maybe Criminal or Medical Mal Practice. I’ll have to see what grabs me as I study.’ ‘And if you don’t get in?’ Victor asked. ‘Well I’ve applied for some smaller colleges just in case. And if it turns out to not be for me well I have a couple of things on the backburner. But I doubt I’ll need them.’ Victor stared at his little sister not sure what to say. Everyone used to joke she was the black sheep of the family. A wild child whose best chance of success would be by being a model. And here she was talking about being a lawyer of all things. Victor was about to say something when Igor came in. ‘Lunch is served sirs and mam.’ They made their way to the dinning room where Igor had set out plates of sandwiches, and bowls of salad and pasta. ‘It looks amazing Igor.’ Justine commented as she sat down. ‘Yes you’ve really done a good job.’ Ramaker agreed. Igor gave them both a small nod though Victor could tell he was more pleased than he was letting on. He set about pouring everyone their drinks as they all helped themselves to the food. Adam took up his usual role as the one who kept the conversation going asking Justine about the colleges she’d applied for. When that topic had run dry Ramaker spoke. ‘So what about you Adam? Are you going to college? When you finish school?’ Adam frowned and looked over to Victor for an answer. ‘I wanted to see how he did at school before we started talking about such things. But I would like Adam to go to a college.’ Dr Ramaker nodded. ‘Any idea what you’d like to study if you do?’ he asked Adam. ‘I’m not sure.’ ‘Well what do you like to do?’ Justine asked. ‘That’s a good place to start. Or what kind of job could you see yourself doing in the future?’ Adam shrugged. ‘I like inventing. But I don’t think they do courses in that.’ Victor shook his head. ‘No but you could study engineering, or business. Both would help. But as I said you’ve got to finish school first so let’s not worry.’ Then there’s the matter of where he goes, he thought. If he went somewhere local he could stay living at home, which depending on his development may be necessary. ‘Victor didn’t choose his degree until the day he sent his application.’ Justine explained. ‘He knew he wanted to do science but couldn’t pick which kind.’ ***

After they’d finished their dessert, Igor had baked a coffee cake, The three adults went to the drawing room for tea. Adam asked if he could be excused, which Victor agreed to. Without him though a dark cloud seemed to form in the air. Justine made no effort to be pleasant to Justine and while she didn’t insult him she did glower at him and refuse to speak. Ramaker seemed unfazed by this. Choosing to talk to Victor and completely ignore her. An arrangement that they may have both been fine with but left Victor in a rather awkward position of being stuck in a one on one on two on one conversation which proved to be very difficult to get his head around. At one point Ramaker asked if he could use the bathroom. In his absence Victor almost begged Justine to just try and be civil. It wasn’t like Victor had a lot of friends to pick from. But he knew there was no point, she was as stubborn as they came. When the time came for Ramaker to leave to say he was relieved would have been understatement. He bid goodbye to Justine who returned the statement in a curt manner. Victor flashed her a warning look before leaving to look for Adam. The two men found him in the living room poking around the fireplace for some reason. Victor wanted to ask what he was doing but Ramaker cut in before he could speak. After they’d said their farewells Victor took Ramaker to the front door. ‘Thank you so much for having me.’ He said as he pulled on his dark blue jacket. ‘I hope Adam enjoys the books.’ Victor nodded. ‘I’m sure he will.’ As soon as Ramaker was walking down the front steps he shut the door and made his way to his office. There he made his way over to the whiteboards where he began to write. The conversation over breakfast had given him an idea. So lost in his work it would be several days before he noticed the drawer of his desk was unlocked.

Adam

Inventing with one arm, Adam decided, wasn’t easy. In fact at times it seemed near impossible. Several times he had to hold something in his mouth resulting in sore gums and in one case black teeth. This got him in a fair bit of trouble from Igor who lectured him on the possibility of poisoning himself. Eventually he realised he would have to give up on finishing his invention for Dr Ramaker for the foreseeable future. This put him in a bad mood which everyone seemed to pick up on. ‘Maybe someone could help you?’ Maram had suggested. She and Oscar had started time with Adam, Chelsea and Nate in school. Outside of school it was still mostly just the three of them and Shreya split her time between them and her other friends. ‘I could do it.’ Nate volunteered. Adam shook his head. ‘Maybe for other things but not this. This is private.’ Chelsea raised an eyebrow. ‘Like we’d be able to tell what it is. Okay maybe Marie and Pierre over there would but the rest of us wouldn’t have a clue.’ Oscar shook his head. ‘Doubt it. I’m useless at mechanics.’ Maram nodded. ‘He really is. I have to fix his bike every time it breaks.’ ‘You good with bikes?’ Nate asked. ‘Cause mine’s bust.’ Maram nodded. ‘Bikes, boards, cars. My parents run a garage. Mum also buys old bangers to sell and insists I help her fix them up.’