#in general really wish people would talk about amarys' stuff!

[invidiatechdemo]

There's a metric ton of Amarys dialogue from the clubroom that's cute but I do like this one a lot with context of Amary's concern for Kieran + Amarys being friends with Carmine :>

[jokertrap-ran]

[Drama CD]   7′Scarlet Limited Edition Bonus CD: According to the candy in the skull Translations

*Commissioned by @melynir, Thank you! *Spoiler free: Translations under cut

Commissions are still open!

Who is it…? Hurry and name yourself!

I can’t believe it...There’s a murderer among us?

Don’t do this, please! It’s not good to be suspecting each other like this...I can’t...I can’t stand doing this!

You can’t be joking, right? Are you serious? And in the first place…

Yeah. I’m dead serious. There’s certainly someone here among us who’s a murderer, wearing the facade of a human; an undead who has returned to the living.

7’Scarlet limited edition drama CD: According to the candy in the skull.

Undead…? I do know that there’s been a story being passed down around this place that dates back to a long time ago. But...are you...are you seriously saying that it’s true?

That’s right, Kushinada-san. Look. Look closely at the eyes of the owner. He doesn’t seem like he’s joking in the least bit now, does he? And he’s the one who brought it up…

Do you think I’d joke about something like this!? If you’re going to continue fussing about this and being in denial, Isora, I’m going to write you off as the undead himself!

Wha- Why!?

Calm down, both of you! How about you look at Kagatsuchi instead? It seems like he has somehow come to a conclusion about this matter.

R-Really!? Hino-kun!

...Well, I guess.

There’s no longer any need to withhold any information back. Now, Kagatsuchi. Will you tell us exactly what it is that you’ve figured out?

Ngh!

Very well. I’ve actually felt that something was off for quite some time now, but I simply shrugged it off, thinking that it was just my imagination. However, after watching his actions and behaviours for some time...that feeling only got stronger.

Enough of the long-winded talk, Kagetsuchi. Just point the guy out already. Who’s the undead? The murderer not of this world!

I’ll leave the explanations for later then. I’ll tell you who this murderer who’s been making the death toll increase here in Okuzaneto! The worst murderer of this generation! Are you all prepared?

Y-Yes, I am.

Yeah…!

Of course.

The undead...is you!!

What!?

Isora, you say!?

Heh. Hahahaha!! There’s nothing I can do now that I’ve been found out. I’m the undead that has just been introduced by yours truly…

Argh!! Wait a minute--! I really don’t want to act as the undead anymore! I don’t wanna!!

Hey! Isora! That line wasn’t written in the script!

It doesn’t have anything to do with the lines! I can’t help not wanting to do what I don’t want to! I don’t like it! Why do I have to be the undead!?

It’s a role that has to be filled!

You lost at rock-paper-scissors!

Just accept it already.

It’s not like I can, either! I’ve never died before, so I don’t understand how the undead’s supposed to be feeling!

Isora-kun...If your words are true, then you won’t be able to act. Acting, you see, is to express and show something that can never happen; to bring something that you;ve never experienced into reality. Actors who cannot act without having prior experience before will never make it far in this world and they’ll never be able to score a big job either!

You know...It’s not like I want to be an actor in the future or anything.

What? Neko-megane! You seem awfully knowledgeable about these things?

Ah! Could you, perhaps-!?

Urk! O-Oh no…

Could it be that-!?

Please, Hino-kun. Don’t go on any further…!

You’re an only child!?

Ah...That’s all?

Kagutsuchi...You should stop that habit of yours of immediately assuming any and everything. Plus I’ve never heard you assuming anything else about him, other than him being an only child.

I can guess his blood type too!

K-Kagetsuchi! If I may please hear more about that?

I don’t care about his status as the only child or his blood type! Can someone else please take the role of the undead!? It’s not for me. It’s not like I’ve ever acted before. I’m not really good at it and I don’t aspire to be an actor in the future either!

Isora! There’s no need for all that! The only question here is, will you do it or not?

He totally took Isora’s words as if he was just talking to himself…

It’s one thing to make Isora feel that strongly about something, but in all honesty, I’m not one to be putting up with this farce either. Besides, why do I, of all people, have to act in something like this? I am THE Yuzuki, you know?

It’s not like we have a choice either. We’re lacking in manpower. Plus, we only roped you in under the Owner’s orders via Yuki.

Honestly, for crying out loud...Right, someone go fetch Yuki here. I bet he’s the one who came up with the casting and the scenarios. I’m going to make him amend everything before my very eyes!

Yuki says that he’ll only be back late because he has some stuff to wrap up in a meeting regarding a live tomorrow.

A meeting, you say? So he’s off having tea with some idol while I’m stuck here being an embarrassment on his whim?

Well...But he said that Eito-san won’t be participating, despite being the lead. So everyone brought up the question of whether a meeting can really be held without the star. 

But, she said that “I cleared my schedule the day before the show so I can give it my all when the live comes!”

Oh? Really? Wait, Neko-megane!? You’re awfully knowledgeable about Eito-sama…

Ahh!! Now, could you perhaps-!?

O-Oh no!!

Enough of this turn of events; we’ve heard it plenty.

This act of ours is supposed to come before that live, right? Why is this even required?

Seems like everything was set up according to Eito’s wishes! And Yuki whipped up a script real quick after having received the job.

Yuki seems really taken with Eito. I’m sure he went all “Leave it to me! I’ll pour all of my heart and soul into coming up with the script!”

I’m kind of indebted to him…

Even still, why did you have to drag all the people staying in this inn right now? Can’t you just leave this to the high-schoolers or something?

That was also because of Eito’s request. Am I right, Neko-megane?

“Yes. Hanamaki-san would be happier about it if that were the case. And I wanted to join too…”

“I wanted to join too?”

“No, I wanted to play the role of an adult once!” So, Yuki-kun said.

He was the one who wrote this script...but who would’ve thought that it would be centered around the undead. Isn’t this going too far? 

Well, I think he also wanted to do something Okunezato-esque.

But it’s not all that unusual to do a play based on old myths and legends either, right?

Even after all that, this is still a piece that has quite a bit of suspense in it so we need actors with an adequate amount of acting ability.

How ridiculous. We’re not actors, therefore we’ve got no responsibility nor obligation to be acting in this.

Well, I don’t disagree with acting itself. It’s pretty fun, actually. Oh! Or is it that the Owner’s embarrassed to appear up the stage alone while acting?

Don’t be stupid. I’ve already gotten used to appearing alone a long time ago. Speaking off...I dare say that my acting skill is the best out of all of us here. I may look like this, but I’ve received the best pity acting award during my time in school when I had a part to play in the school’s play!

The best pity...acting...award? Isn’t that bad?

In any case! I’m taking my leave from here! I’m not signing to act like a bunch of monkeys under the farce of a play.

Wait. Don’t be so quick to come to a decision, Owner. Yuki-kun went through all the effort of writing the script! Are you sure you want to put all his hard work to waste? He, who managed to pen all of this down during his free-time even though he was all so busy? The script is one thing, but it must have been hard for him to set everything up like this. Adding all of the time he might have spent on this, just how much effort do you think he put into this?

...You’re actually counting them all?

It is said that the average pay is 50,000Yen. Which means that he should have netted about a hundred or so Yen per shift.

Has Sousuke-san gone stir-crazy…? 

But he hasn’t sought payment as if he were working a shift. He was simply doing what he needed to be. Therefore, I think that he has to be repaid in some way, even if it’s to bring what he was working on into reality. Don’t you think so?

Ah...Someone should stop him.

Besides, if we’re so ready to blindside how much work a girl’s putting in, then perhaps we should make the men drop the amount of shifts they’re taking and-

Err, in other words, he’s trying to say that we should do it since Yuki had put so much effort into it. He’d be sad if we don’t so won’t you help us out here?

Amari! That’s just it! That was exactly what I wanted to say!

Seriously? All I just did just now was to wing it-

For Yuki’s sake…? It’s kind of unfair for you to be throwing such a lowball, but...I’ll do it.

Ehhhh? He accepted pretty readily!?

Only this time. And I have a condition.

What is it?

Change the script. It’s not good to be fooling around like that with a script revolving around the undead. It goes against the very will of Okunezato. No matter how much effort Yuki has placed into this, I won’t allow something like that.

After acting along with us this far? I wonder why you’re saying this only now, all of a sudden?

Owner...he must have remembered all the lines by heart. I mean, he’s the only one who didn’t bring a script with him…

Right!? I’m sure he prepared before coming here!

You all...Are you pretending not to have heard what I just said?

No...I understand where you’re coming from. But in all honesty, it’s also pretty hard for me to call this scenario that Yuki has written up to be a job well done.

Really? I think it’s pretty interesting, though.

And just which part exactly are you referring too?

Which part? Well…

The part where the undead opened his mouth and spewed fire, burning everything into ashes! That was impactful!

I don’t really know about that, myself. I mean, destroying the stage? That’s a recipe for disaster.

That’s why we need it to be re-written! So no accidents and woes happen!

It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s just fiction! It’s just a corpse, anyway. And the ending was great too! Everyone breaks out into a dance after the undead being is defeated!

Were you already prepared to break out in dance…? REWRITE!

I suppose rewrite it is...But what will we do about the script? The act’s slated for tomorrow and there’s no way we can write up a new one now.

Simple! We just have to have an original story to base it off. If we are to use an old legend and myth like we’re doing right now, there are tons of it out there!

Ahh...I see. Then...How about Momotaro?

It’s lame but It’s been turning up in commercials lately so it wouldn’t be that odd of a story to be replacing it with. The era, though…

Okaay! It’s decided then. Who wants to be Momotaro? Whoa, wait a minute! 5 people can’t be playing Momotaro!

So you say, but you’ve got your hand raised too.

I’m glad to see that everyone’s enthusiastic about this.

Way too enthusiastic, don’t you think!? Even the Owner has his hand up!

Okay, okay! 5 people acting as Momotaro’s just plain impossible!

Really? I heard that some other place had everyone acting as Momotaro though.

There’s no need to compare to them now, is there? Plus, if everyone’s playing Momotaro, then where’s the bird, the monkey and the dog!? And even if we did make it to the island, there wouldn’t be any Oni.

It’s certainly interesting, but don’t you think this would be hard to act out? If we add the old man and the old woman...5 people wouldn’t even be close to enough.

What if we ask Tsukiyomi-san and Karasuma-san?

The declined.

They...declined…? There was an option of declining!?

He turned it down immediately, thinking of it as simply being a gag prank.

Ugh! I totally thought that I absolutely had to participate in this no matter what…How could I have foreseen this…!?

You know, I’ve always wondered about this ever since I was a kid, but Momotaro must really be one lucky guy to not have died after the Old woman opened the peach as she did. I mean, she sliced it cleanly into half...Oh! How about we have a suspense scene for that? A Momotaro murder! The catchphrase...right! Who killed Momotaro!?

The perpetrator’s the old woman, isn’t it?

To hide the evidence of the act she committed, she closed up the peach and sealed it back up.

And the Old man came back from the mountains, only to be roped into her own conspiracy…

I really can’t see the old granny doing that though...but...I’m kind of interested to hear what comes next!

...Enough. Anyway, we should really think about an act that includes all 5 of us, each in different roles.

Then...How about Urashima Taro? You can be Otohime-sama, Owner.

Rejected! Next.

Then Kintaro! No girls appear in there so it’s settled, isn’t it?

Okaaay! Who wants to be Kintaro? Wha- NOBODY!?

Kintaro...he ends up naked after all.

I...Being naked’s NG for me.

Like hell I’m going to bare my chest for all to see just because of this! REJECTED. Next!

Then, Chikarataro! 

No, no, it should be Monogusataro. 

Sannetaro!!

Enough of the Taro series! Move away from it! Taro, taro, taro..Enough of it!! Isn’t there anything else!? Something simple! Something that everyone knows!

How about you suggest something then? You were the one who wanted a change of the script, so shouldn’t you suggest something!?

It’s not like I can help it now, can I? Let’s go about this logically. There’s not enough time right not to make an entirely new script. Therefore, it’s only plausible if we go for a story that all of us know; all five of us. In other words, there’s only THAT story.

What’s “that”?

Shakespeare!

Shake...-!?

There’s no way we can go wrong with this. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the entire world knows of his works. It may be embarrassing to act his works out, but there is no easier play to enact in this world than shakespeare. All of his stories are famous beyond famous. So even if we’re only capable of doing a patchy job...Hm? What’s wrong? You’re all being so silent!

Ah!? My…!

Ah...Shakespeare, you say?

Indeed. Which of his stories would you prefer? I’ll let you have the option of at least that much.

Ahh, anything’s fine! Right?

Y-Yeah…! That one’s fine and that one too! Right, Kushinada-san!?

Ah...Yes! The tearful one might be good! They say that nothing’s better than a sob-story, right?

Hm…? Kushinada? Which story are you talking about…?

Ah…That one. You know, the one where someone dies…?

Hm...That’s hard. Most of Shakespeare's works end in tragedy. It’s hard to pin-point which one you’re talking about unless you’re more detailed about it. Isora, which work is he referring to?

Ehh!? W-Which!? The emotional one! You know where the main character dies...or not...or so!

And, you know…! Where the main character falls into despair...or not...or so!?

I...see?

A UFO...UFO!!!

You guys...are you saying that none of you know of Shakespere? Is this how it is, Kagutsuchi?

Urk...I don’t know! Goddamnit! I do know of at least Romeo and Juliet though! But something famous beyond famous!?

S-Sorry...it didn’t really feel like I could deny it...There’s nothing but Shakespere, yeah...actually, Shakespeare, who?

It’s finally out now! I don’t know and it’s hard lying about it like that! Having everything out in the open like this feels much better, right? Right!?

No, all of you were pretty interesting. I never thought that he’d take all of you so seriously when you were all just pretending to have understood whatever he had been going on about. I suppose this is truly what ad-lib acting is!

Sousuke-san, you know about it?

Of course! It would do you good to remember the 4 great tragedies at least! Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet. They’re all also famous beyond their time!

Huh? Amadeus? Learlo? Riaju?

It’s all muddled up, you know.

But! I know at least Romeo and Juliet!

Ahem! “Oh Romeo! Where art thou Roemo!”

Enough! Anyway, Owner. Anything Shakesperaren is out of the cards! It’s simply an impossible undertaking!

Isn’t there anything easier? Something with simple enough lines that all of us know about!?

Kushinada, suggest something.

M-Me!? Then...how about Cinderella or-

Blergh! Don’t you think it’s a little disgusting for all the actors to be men for that?

I don’t particularly mind.

Y-You don’t!?

Ahem! “Cinderella! Please finish cleaning the house up before we return home!”

Hey, Kagutsuchi! Don’t go off starting it all on your own like that! And why in the world are you voicing all the female roles!?

“Oh no! The seams on my dress have come off. Fix it for me!”

Did something like that even happen!?

Well then. “I’m going to the ball! I’ll be leaving the night shift to you then~!”

Aren’t there way too many of her mean sisters here?

“Allow me to magic up this pumpkin…!”

Kushinada…! The fairy godmother has appeared even though Cinderella hasn’t made a debut. Isn’t this bad!?

Hurry, Owner! Cinderella! You’re Cinderella!!

You mean...you’re making…me. Me! You’re making me participate in this...farce?

So, say something?

“Ah...I want to go to the ball too…”

CUUUUUUUT!! Owner! You’re way too despondent about this! Are you even putting your heart in this!?

Don’t turn the tables on me! You had other choices, didn’t you!?

Ehh? But it was proceeding on pretty smoothly!

Kushinada...You haven’t really read Cinderella before, have you? Your fairy godmother seems like it came right out of ‘The man who made flowers bloom’!

Seems like we went a full circle from Momotaro and back again to these old tales.

Did not!!

Argh!! We can’t seem to be able to decide anything at all! And look at the time! Can we really settle this and come up with something new before tomorrow!?

And we said that we’d think of something to base if off since it’s impossible to re-write a script now...but our Cinderella’s practically the original one.

Talk and talk, we did. But we still didn’t decide anything in the end…

Enough. Let’s just stick to the undead story…

That’s right! All we can do now is to do our best with the lines that we’ve already memorised!

Humph. In other words, we were all thrown for a loop...only to come back to the original story about the undead. I suppose there’s nothing we can do about it. It was a mistake to attempt changing out act on such short notice. So let’s go with the undead story. However, let’s change at least the ending.

The ending? Oh! You mean the dance part?

Yes! There’s that too, but this entire story’s ending is way too big for my taste. I’d rather it end off properly, you know?

Then, can’t we just end it off when the undead disappears into the forest? Everything else along with the dance should only come after that.

Right! That’s precisely it! We can’t change too much, else it’ll become a flop.

Let’s do that then! We’ve all already memorized our lines anyway so we’ll only be writing off the big celebration and dance.

What a pity~ The dance was pretty interesting too!

I don’t mind the dance...not really, anyway…

Really!?

Hmmmmmmm? You seem to have all your lines down to pat. Now, now, Yuzuki-sama…?

Did he perfect his dance too!?

I...It was only my responsibility, having taken up this job.

That’s amazing, Owner! I admire actors like that with the hardworking trait! They don’t only remember their own lines, but they also go out of their way to remember everybody’s!

I don’t have to?

Amazing! Owner, you’re a blessing from the gods! A natural-born actor!

No, he’s just a veteran.

The celebration’s a no-go but the dance gets a pass! Alright, once more from the top!

I’ll follow after you, Owner!

Scene 18: Flurin Cafe, start!

Who is it? Hurry and name yourself!

I can’t believe it...There’s a murderer among us?

Don’t do this, please! It’s not good to be suspecting each other like this...I can’t...I can’t stand doing this!

You can’t be joking, right? Are you serious? And in the first place…

Yeah. I’m dead serious. There’s certainly someone here among us who’s a murderer, wearing the facade of a human; an undead who has returned to the living.

Wait, hold up!

What is it now, Isora!? Why are you stopping us again!?

Thinking it through, nothing’s been settled at all! I don’t want to act as the undead! I don’t want to!

You were the one who lost at rock-paper-scissors!

What a sore loser…

Um...we’re repeating the same pattern again..

You have it good, Hino-kun. You have a line that goes “YOU are the undead!!”. I have it pretty hard on the other hand...I mean, what is this line!? “Hehehehe. There’s nothing I can do now that I’ve been found out. I’m the undead that has just been introduced by yours truly, Isora!” This isn’t a vow in a marriage or anything like that!

No good...This doesn’t seem like it’ll get itself settled anytime soon...

[nitewrighter]

Hey :) i kinda miss your prefall Gency fic... Do you think you can write some more ? Take care ♥

I’m still thinking about the canonical existence of Overwatch Propaganda Cartoons that we saw in that preview of Hero of Numbani.

...can you tell I watched old GI Joe opening theme songs specifically for this fic?

Also credit goes to @apocryphist for coming up with “underhand” which really should be the only name for villains in the Overwatch universe.

-----

Genji drummed his fingers on the conference room table as he rested his chin in his other hand. Mercy sat to his left, nonchalantly tapping out some correspondence on her tablet as they waited. On his other side, Tracer was bouncing her knee with her fingers interlaced on the table in front of her, doing her best to at least put forward the semblance of a strike team leader despite her fidgeting. Winston sat stiffly next to her, apparently trying to scroll through lab results on his own tablet but clearly too nervous to stay focused. It was a bright and slightly breezy afternoon in Zurich, and normally Genji would have been gracefully slashing his way through the training grounds at this time, but instead they were all here.

“I can’t stand it when they don’t say what the meetings are about,” mumbled Winston. 

“It’s probably a top secret mission!” said Tracer.

“’Secret?’” said Winston, sounding even more nervous, “I’m... I’m not exactly good at ‘secret.’”

“Is it unrealistic to hope we got more intel from Doomfist?” said Genji, glancing at Mercy.

“I wish,” huffed Mercy, “But from what debriefings I could get my hands on, he hasn’t given us anything useful.”

“How is that possible?” said Genji, “After all the internal damage he did to Talon’s internal power structure, shouldn’t they be scrambling without him? Shouldn’t there be a power vacuum?”

“I don’t know any more than you do...” said Winston, readjusting his glasses. 

“Honestly I thought you’d know more about it, what with the Blackwatch stuff,” said Tracer.

“Still benched,” said Genji, folding his arms.

“Officially,” said Mercy with a slight side-eye.

Genji gave her an amused “Hmph,” before saying, “Either way, Reyes pushed me out of the loop now that I’m on your strike team... not that I paid that much attention to the loop befo---”

The door opened and everyone perked up at the sight of Jack Morrison and Sojourn walking into the room. Jack seemed uneasy, but honestly Mercy couldn’t really recall the last time he seemed at ease.

“Okay, before we start, I want all of you to keep an open mind with this,” he said, looking across all of them.

“...Very encouraging, Strike Commander,” said Sojourn, with slightly sardonic amusement. She put her hands on her hips and turned to face Tracer’s strike team, “As you all know, when you’re recruited into Overwatch, you sign a waiver allowing us to use your image in... all sorts of stuff. Press releases, scientific publications, training videos for new recruits---”

“Posters,” said Mercy, already skeptical.

“Posters, too,” said Sojourn with a smile, “However, back during Omnic Crisis Reconstruction, we were using the images of heroes for a lot more.”

“Heroes?” Genji repeated quietly as Sojourn produced a remote control from the pocket of her jacket and hit a button. The venetian blinds tilted to shut out the sunlight and the lights of the room dimmed as the wallscreen lit up behind Sojourn. The screen lit up in bright colors and red and yellow explosions as a trumpeting fanfare started playing. Tracer’s face lit up as a young cartoon version of Jack Morrison appeared on the screen, pumping his fist in the air. 

“The world needs heroes!” said the cartoon Jack Morrison, “Are you with us?” 

Genji glanced at Jack who was very clearly cringing at his cartoon self.

“Oh yes!” said Tracer, her eyes bright, “It’s been years since I’ve watched this! You guys know the song, right?” she said looking at her teammates, “..No?”

The theme song was already playing, and Tracer was singing along with it eagerly.

There’s no need to fear

Overwatch is here!

Saving all we hold dear!

Mercy made a ‘I really hope this meeting isn’t going the way I think it’s going,’ face at Genji and Genji suppressed a chuckle, but Tracer seemed absolutely thrilled and even Winston was humming along with the theme song. The theme song kept playing and even introduced different members of the old Overwatch Strike team. One of the animators clearly had fun lavishing a lot of attention on Ana Amari’s hair whipping around from the force of an explosion behind her. A still-blonde cartoon Reinhardt brawled fist-to-fist with some kind of black and neon green robot. Cartoon Morrison jumped a motorcycle off of an aircraft carrier with cartoon Reyes wielding a missile launcher in the sidecar. Torbjörn and Liao were working side by side in a lab before the camera panned out to reveal they were in a bright blue tank-like vehicle Genji safely assumed was entirely made up to sell toys, firing off RPG’s with even more explosions. Sojourn chuckled watching her cartoon self fire two submachine guns at black and neon green helicopters while parachuting out of an exploding jet. There was, all in all, a frankly ridiculous amount of explosions. It finally ended with one last massive explosion and fanfare and cartoon versions of Sojourn and the entire original strike team all pumping their fists in the air with Morrison in the center. 

Sojourn hit another button on her remote, the wall screen blipped off, the venetian blinds opened and the lights came on, leaving everyone sitting at the conference table blankly.

“Ahh! Still just as good as when I was a kid!” said Tracer, excitedly.

“Now, I know what you’re going to say--” Morrison started.

“Propaganda,” said Mercy, “You want to put us in propaganda.”

“You’re already in propaganda,” said Sojourn, flatly.

“This is propaganda aimed at children!” said Mercy.

“Do you know how young Talon is recruiting?” said Sojourn.

“That doesn’t mean we should stoop to their level!” said Mercy.

“Wars aren’t just won by strategy and firepower, they’re also won by ideology, by public support,” Winston suggested.

Mercy remembered something Moira said and it sent a shiver down her spine. 

The true struggle is for the superiority of ideas.

“Thank you, Winston,” said Jack, “It’s not necessarily about convincing them to join, it’s about convincing people that we have their best interests in mind. Which...” Jack gestured, “We do.”

“Those bad guys didn’t look like Talon,” said Genji.

“Oh, it wasn’t Talon!” said Tracer excitedly, before dropping into a dramatic narrator voice, “Underhand is a Ruthless Criminal Organization determined to rule the world!”

“Uh--Underhand?” said Winston. Jack said nothing but somehow managed to look more dead inside.

“...Overwatch and Underhand...” Mercy repeated incredulously.

“So--we’re going to be in a cartoon?” said Genji. For some reason, his armor seemed to feel tighter, pinching, constricting around him.

“Well, we did some polling after the Doomfist fight and ran some algorithms through a handful of popular forums and social media,” Sojourn explained, “It turns out you’re all very popular with the younger crowd. Winston and Tracer pull the biggest numbers, but you, Genji, are incredibly popular with boys aged 6 to 14.”

“I...I am?” said Genji.

“Shining armor,” said Mercy, smiling at him, and steam vented from his shoulders.

“And Mercy has a death-grip on the ‘Girls aged 3 to 11′ demographic,” said Sojourn.

“So... more girls are getting into STEM?” said Mercy.

“I’m.. not sure about that, but they seem to really like the fact that you’re pretty and you can fly,” said Sojourn, flipping through the report on her own tablet. 

Mercy’s face dropped and she shook her head. She pursed her lips and thought for a few moments. “I’m not sure about this...”

“If we’re all over the news already, it could help to put stuff out there that gives us more control over our image,” said Winston, he scratched the side of his head, “It... would be nice to show people I’m more than just a gorilla...”

“Genji?” said Mercy, looking over at him. Genji was running his thumb over the knuckles of his prosthetic hand and he seemed to snap out of some particularly stressful train of thought.

“Oh...um... well... it would give you a chance to talk more about Overwatch as a peacekeeping organization?” said Genji, “And if you’re talking about it to children...” 

“They might be less inclined to carry on the conflicts of previous generations!” said Mercy, her eyes brightening.

“Like we said, ideologies,” said Jack.

Mercy inhaled thoughtfully. “If--if we’re going to do this, I want my likeness used responsibly. I don’t want to advocate for violence in any form.”

“...yeah I figured you’d say that,” said Jack.

“And, even if we’re going through fictional conflicts, I don’t want it... glamorized and sensationalized like the old cartoon. We don’t need all those explosions---”

“You did pull Genji out of that explosion a few weeks ago though,” said Tracer.

“Well that’s different--! That’s--!” Mercy huffed, “I think we should push more of Overwatch’s scientific and humanitarian efforts. Show that making the world a better place is more complicated than just.. shooting at bad guys.”

“We could have a science corner!” Winston chimed in, “’Winston’s Science Corner!’”

“Ooh! And maybe I should say something about friendship and teamwork at the end!” said Tracer.

Genji was shrinking a little where he was sitting, unconsciously sliding his wrist plate back and forth.

“What do you think? Edu-tainment?” said Sojourn, glancing back at Jack.

“Could go over easier than a purely fictionalized narrative,” murmured Jack.

“Aw, I wanna fight Underhand, though!” said Tracer.

“Well in any case, you can expect more correspondence from our PR department as we move forward in this project,” said Sojourn. 

“You might not be fighting Talon in some far-flung corner of the world, but make no mistake: this is an important part of the fight,” said Jack.

“And who knows,” said Sojourn as an assistant hurried in with a cardboard box and set it on the conference table, “You could end up some kid’s best friend.”

Tracer and her strike team all stood up from their seats to look into the box.

“Oh commander...!” Tracer looked about to burst with excitement as she reached into the box and pulled out an action figure of herself, “I love it!” She turned over the action figure in her hands and saw a button on the back. She pressed it.

“Cheers love! The Cavalry’s here!” said the Tracer action figure.

“That’s my line!” said Tracer, delighted.

“It’s quite a stunning likeness,” said Winston, taking his own action figure out of the box. He pressed a button on the back of his action figure. 

“Primal Punch!” declared the Winston action figure and Winston chuckled.

Mercy took both the Genji and the Mercy action figures out of the box and chuckled a little. 

“Yours is so pretty, Doc! They even got the wings!” said Tracer as Mercy fiddled around with the action figure’s wings.

“Yes, ‘pretty and flies’ indeed.’ I might be more inclined if she comes with a lab coat accessory,” said Mercy, giving a skeptical glance to her action figure’s bust size. She pressed a button between her action figure’s wings and scoffed a little as the action figure said, “Heroes never die!” 

She held Genji’s action figure out to him and he hesitantly took it. “What do you think?”

Genji turned the action figure over in his hand and looked at the button on the back. He pressed it, but the figure said nothing.

“Oh we um... didn’t really have a ‘catchphrase’ for you yet,” said Sojourn as Genji gingerly ran the finger of his prosthetic hand up the blade of the action figure’s sword clasped in his little plastic hand, “We were hoping you could put in a word for it. These are just mock-ups, really.” 

You’re incredibly popular with boys age 6 to 14...

Genji moved the arm of the action figure up and down, the figure striking downward with its sword, and he thought of young boys playing with this miniature him. Running with the action figure clutched in little hands with white knuckles, playing out battles, having the action figure swing its sword at all those foes, imitating his own swordsmanship, fighting their brothers with sticks, punching each other, kicking each other---

“No,” Genji said on reflex.

“What?” said Sojourn, glancing up from Tracer chattering about her own action figure.

“I--I said no. I shouldn’t have an action figure. I shouldn’t be in the show,” said Genji. His voice was tight.

“Genji...” Mercy started.

“...is it about how you look?” said Sojourn, “Because Genji, I can tell you, seeing people like us on the screen means the world to kids with prosthetics---”

“No--” Genji was stammering, “It’s not about that, it’s--”

“Genji, you’re a part of the team,” Tracer tried to reassure him, “It wouldn’t be the same without you--”

“Children shouldn’t want to be like me!” Genji blurted out, and there was a small plasticky snap. Genji glanced down and saw that he had unthinkingly broken the arm off of his own action figure. The entire room had gone silent, staring at him. He set both the action figure and its broken-off arm on the table and exhaled. “I’m-- I need to think about it,” he said, pushing up from the table and walking briskly out of the room.

“Genji, wait--” said Mercy, standing up. Her eyes flicked to the broken Genji action figure on the table and she picked it up, tucking both the figure and the broken off arm in the pocket of her lab coat. The door slid shut behind Genji but she quickly walked after him, leaving Morrison, Sojourn, Tracer, and Winston alone in the room. A long quiet pause passed between the four of them.

“Maybe just web shorts?” said Winston, “Just.. um... just the science corner?”

“Winston--” Tracer huffed.

“Right--sorry,” said Winston.

“...well, they did keep an open mind,” said Jack, “Mostly.”

“Don’t make me break out your action figure, Jack,” said Sojourn.

----

It was a known fact that if you broke visual contact on Genji, you had a pretty low probability of finding him again unless he wanted to be found. Still Mercy spent more of the remainder of the afternoon looking for him than she was readily willing to admit. The fact that he was able to disappear from the hallway that quickly made her assume he had taken the window (very mature, by the way, Genji, she thought with an eye roll) but she checked all of his usual spots and even went to his room before finally huffing and returning to her lab.

It was about 11 at night when the door slid open.

“Genji, we’re beholden to the UN. I know that was an uncomfortable situation, but... there are still protocols,” said Mercy, not even looking up from her screen.

“I know,” his cybernetically reverberative voice hummed from the other side of the room.

“I don’t know how... informally Reyes maintained his meetings, but we can’t--” Mercy looked up from her screen and read his posture and expression. Her shoulders slumped. She pushed up from her desk and walked across the lab over to him.

“I’m sorry, I know. I just shut down,” said Genji as she closed the distance between them, “I don’t even know where it came from, ever since I joined Tracer’s strike team, I thought I’ve been getting better but--” he cut himself off as she hugged him. He stood there for a few seconds before returning the embrace. A part of him wanted to take his faceplate off, breathe in the smell of her hair and the smell of coffee on her, but he tamped that down. They had embraced before, after Gérard Lacroix’s death, and had broken out of it, both of them muttering about it being inappropriate and messy, but after missions together on Tracer’s strike team, there was no such shame in taking comfort in each other like this. She loosened the hug slightly to look at him.

“What you said... about you and children...”  she trailed off.

“I...” Genji sighed, “I’m an assassin.”

“You’re an agent,” said Mercy.

“Whose skills all come from the fact that he was raised to be an assassin,” said Genji, “What I went through as a child---I don’t want another child to go through it. And I don’t want children to think that’s what they want because it’s not.”

“They won’t have to,” said Mercy, putting her hands on his shoulders, “The Shimada Clan’s practically collapsed! You get to decide who you are, not them! You get to choose what you do with your skills,” one of her hands trailed down his arm and clasped his organic hand, “And you choose good. You’ve been choosing to do good.”

“...kids shouldn’t want to be like me when I don’t even know what the hell I am,” muttered Genji.

Mercy gave a helpless chuckle, “Join the club. ‘Mercy’ is easier to be than Angela. People listen to ‘Mercy,’ except not really, because she’s just pretty and she flies and at the end of the day, she’s just a bloody idea, so no one actually listens to her because she’s not real---”  she caught herself, “God, they’re really going to turn us into cartoon characters, aren’t they?” she said, pushing her bangs back from her face, “As if things weren’t already weird enough.”

“Cyborg ninja. Angel doctor. Time traveler. Gorilla from the moon. It really makes no difference at this point,” said Genji with a shrug, looking over her shoulder, he noticed a small figure on her desk. “Is that---?” he broke out of the embrace and walked over to the desk to see his action figure standing there. The arm had been glued back on, the seam of the break barely visible. He picked up the action figure. “You fixed me? It--It-- I mean it. You fixed it?” he said glancing over his shoulder at her.

“Well I couldn’t just leave you like that,” said Mercy, chuckling a little. 

“’You’ve rescued me again, Doctor Ziegler!’” said Genji, making the action figure bob with his words. They both snickered. “Maybe that can be my catchphrase,” said Genji, a smirk in his voice.

“Absolutely not,” said Mercy, giggling.

[radioactive-synth]

💘 for vaughn/nick/hancock, and as a bonus: how did they all come together? were two of them already dating and then the third joined in, or did they all just kind of meld together at the same time? what sorta dynamic did they have with each other before it became romantic?

short version, they kind of melded together at same time. they are basically best friends to lovers trope, but to be clear, Vaughn is romantically and sexually involved with both of them, but Nick and Hancock arent in between each other, their relationship is platonic and familial. there is no jealousy in between them and neither fight for Vaughn’s attention, and they didnt even before they all 3 became family.

long version:

when Vaughn got out the vault, he was scared and hopeless but still he had revenge on his mind. Nick seen that and understood his need for revenge, so he stick with him until they found Kellogg (3 weeks after the vault). his first impression about Hancock after he killed Finn was that he was afraid of him, but he seen that Nick is totally fine with him, so he trusted Hancock enough to accept his offer to rest at the State House until Amari figured it out with the chip from Kellogg. they didnt seen each other for a few months, but Hancock kept hearing about Vaughn and his MM army. after that, they went in the Glowing Sea, but not before Preston asked Vaughn for help, but he refused, which Nick didnt liked that, but still stayed with Vaughn. after saving his life from 2 radscorpions that damaged his power armor, Vaughn asked how he can thank him properly, and Nick told him that for start, he could help out others, so Vaughn finally accepted his role as General. 3 more weeks, Nick helped him and watched him how he started to talk with the settlers around the area, then he retreated to focus on his own work. their dynamic in that time was that they bonded fast and they could talk about lot of things and talk even about the old world. Vaughn was fascinated to hear about Nick’s previous cases, and Nick liked how Vaughn talked about his past life.

 a few weeks later, Vaughn got hurt badly in a solo mission and Nick was called to help him out, as he didnt seen to accept help from anyone else. Vaughn was relieved to see Nick again and missed him. one night, Vaughn had nightmares and Nick calmed him down, then Vaughn asked him if he can stay with him for the night. Nick was a bit surprised at first, but he was kinda used to other people clinging to him for support, but also he couldnt refuse Vaughn’s crying eyes, so that was first night when they cuddled up. after that, it kinda became a habit to just cuddle at night, cause it felt nice. tho, one other night, when Vaughn took too many painkillers, was too high and kissed Nick on his lips. he only realised that next morning, but neither him or Nick mentioned it, but Nick couldnt stop thinking about the feel of the other’s lips onto his own. they continued to sleep together at night.

as for Hancock. a few months later after he got the leadership of MM and got the Castle back, Vaughn took Dogmeat and stopped in Goodneighbor to buy parts for the radio, when Bobbi No Nose offered him a job: help him break in an old bunker and get whatever he wants (i know the canon says DC but i cant see him accept that ever lmao). only when they got to Fahrenheit, Vaughn realised he was tricked and sided with Fah, as he still feared Hancock. Bobbi left, and Fahrenheit thanked him for that, but still took him to Hancock and apologize for the damages. but Hancock was totally chill, and very surprised that the General of MM would break into his strongroom. after they talked, Vaughn suggested to him to join in his MM missions, which the other gladly accepted, only to get out of the town. they also bonded fast cause of their common values, the humor (even that Vaughn drives Hancock crazy with his puns) and the easy way to talk just about anything. Hancock was so impressed on how kind Vaughn is to other people, and Vaughn likes how adventurous and spontaneous is Hancock. Vaughn offered him a newly renovated house in Sanctuary (which a few weeks later he shared with MacCready). even in that time, Nick stayed in Vaughn’s house when he wasnt busy with his work, and Hancock thought they were in relationship. with time, Hancock started to spend mornings at Vaughn’s house, even with Nick there. at some point, Vaughn started to be touchy with Hancock too, like casual arm over the shoulder or arranging the coat, stuff like that. or even Vaughn asking Hancock if he could look at his hands (’im a doctor, trust me’) as an excuse to feel the texture of his skin. its total different from Nick’s, but still feels fascinated by it. not long it takes that one evening spend together just two of them (as Nick was out for a case) it transforms in a passional night (it was Vaughn who wanted it first, he didnt got any action in 210 yrs lmao). at first, Hancock didnt wanted to take Nick’s place in bed, but Vaughn said its ok. even Nick was totally fine by it. they usually sleep with Vaughn in the middle. at some other point, Vaughn started to have passional nights even with Nick.

even that all in Sanctuary thought of them that they were together, Vaughn didnt really realised that. weeks or months later, the stress was getting higher as he got in the Institute, and couldnt handle his emotions anymore. he started to drink more and neglect himself, which made the other 2 worried, so they took care of him and keep him focused on the MM, even that BOS and the RR were pulling at him too.

when the Institute was gone, Vaughn fell in depression and needed a few days to just sleep, with breaks for eating and bathroom. Nick and Hancock took care of the synth kid, and both adored him even first time. after Vaughn finally decided to get out of the room, he seen Oliver onto Nick’s lap, while he and Hancock were reinterpreting a story from a book, while Dogmeat and Hera were on the floor, listening to them, and Codsworth was also joining in the story. Vaughn felt immense happiness seeing them all together.

 a few days later, Oliver asked his dad if he can call the other two ‘dads’ or to call them different, and Vaughn only realised that he should talk with them two about their relationship. he feared at first that the other 2 will leave for their jobs, but Nick and Hancock werent going anywhere. they thought that they were already a family. Vaughn finally confessed his feelings about them, and wishes to be romantically involved with them. they accepted. and 2 yrs later, they married. also Oliver calls Nick ‘pops’ and Hancock ‘papa’. he doesnt consider he had a mother and has a father, but that he has 3 dads.

currently, Nick and Hancock ocassionally leaves home for their own jobs, but all 3 cooperate so at least one of them is at home with Oliver, and not longer than 2 weeks. even way before they got in relationship, Nick and Hancock provide advices and support for Vaughn’s MM missions. even that Preston is second in command, Ronnie Shaw is third in command and Danse is 4th in command, Vaughn would still first listen to his lovers, and even leave them decide for him if he needs a break due of his bad mental days. Danse isnt happy for this, as he considers that the other two should have a rank (they dont have like the others), Hancock’s only response is that ‘we fuck with the General, is that enough power over him for you, rusted tin can??’. Preston doesnt have anything to comment, as he learned to trust their judgements.

[ofcnoel]

                                       𝒾𝓃𝓉𝓇𝑜𝒹𝓊𝒸𝒾𝓃𝑔... 𝕟𝕠𝕖𝕝 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕥 

                  ―   chance perdomo. he/him. cismale.  ／  noel laurent  just pulled up blasting a boy is a gun by tyler, the creator  — that song is so them ! you know, for a(n) twenty-two year old rapper, i’ve heard they’re really reckless, but that they make up for it by being so altruistic. if i had to choose three things to describe them, i’d probably say rolled up sleeves on an oversized sweater, missed 2am calls, messy notebooks filled with lyrics. here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble !

tw: uh , homophobia? yeah yikes.  

              hi  it’s  me,  dumb  bitch  machine,  raq.  annnd  this  is  my  lil  cherub  noel.  lit  rally  love  this  rp  more  than  life  itself  and  i’m  SO  happy  that  it’s  come  back.  it  was  a  crazy  special  place  a  year  ago  and  it’ll  be  another  crazy  special  place  now  too. noel’s  brand  new  so  excuse  the  awkward  phase  i  tend  to  go  through  while  i  feel  out  a  new  muse.  i’m  also  playin  with  new   aesthetics  for   threads  and  what  not   so  like  just  be  patient  with  me  skjags.  i ...  already  have  a  second  muse  in  the  works   because  yes  i’m  extra!  cannot  wait  to  write  with  you  all !! 

         [ 𝕓𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕤  ―  ❝ BETTER  DAYS  FOLLOW  ME  LIKE  THE  SADDEST  SONG ❞  ] 

full  name:  noel  amari  laurent  

age:  twenty-two years old

date  of  birth:  may  12th 

star  sign:  taurus 

place  of  birth:   san  marcos  ,  texas 

currently  living  in:  los angeles , california  

voiceclaim:  brockhampton /  kevin  abstract

sexual orientation:  bisexual 

spoken languages:  fluent  in  english  and  very  limited  in  spanish thanks to his dad  *more  on  that   later 

TL;DR :  noel  laurent  is  a  twenty-something  rapper/boyband  member  who  is….  honestly  trying  his  best  and  failing  lmao.  he  lost  alot  of  connection  to  his  family  really  young  and  recently.  because  of  this,  he  has  a  tendency  to  cling  hard  to  people  and  make  himself  his  own  makeshift  family  in  people  who  don’t  always  have  his  best  interest  in  mind.  which  always  lowkey  just  hurts  him  in  the  end  cause  his  expectations  are  too  high!  he’s    ambitious  and  loving  but  hella  reckless.  

         [ 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕  ― ❝  I  WISH  YOU'D  LOVE  ME  FOR  LIFE  ❞  ]  

alright   here   we   go

noel    was    born    in    san    marcos    texas    to    eva    laurent    on    may    12th    1997.    For    all    of    his    life,    it    was    just    him,    his    mother    and    his    younger    sister.    They    didn’t    have    a    ton    but    eva    did    everything    she    could    to    make    sure    they    had    everything    they    needed.    she’s    an    incredible    hard    worker    and    that    work    ethic    trickled    down    to    noel    from    a    very    young    age.    

alright  so  #daddyissues  much?  noel’s  dad  was  in  his  life  when  he  was  really  young.  from  three  to  like  eight,  because  his  parents  got  back  together  for  a  couple  years  .  once  they  broke  up  again  his  dad  vanished  again  !  he  has  very  few  memories  of  him  but  some  of  them  are  still  they’re  prettyyyyy  fuzzy.  tbh  ,  his  dad’s  a  really  touchy  subject  so  he  tends  to  just  pretend  the  guy  doesn’t  exist  !

he   kinda   always   wanted   to   help   out   his   mom   (   spoiler   alert,   he’s   a   mommas   boy   but   more   on   that   later   )   so,   pretty   much   from   the   age   he   was   legally   able   to,   noel   his   been   #grinding.   like,   imagine   that   one   kid   that   fell   asleep   in   english   because   they   work   late   the   night   before.   that   was   him   throughout   highschool.   he   was   working   odd   jobs   constantly   on   the   side   of   his   main   job.   mowing   lawns,   dog   walking,   you   name   it   he   probably   dabbled.   he’s   smart   so   he’d   do   other   kid’s   homework   for   pay   but   wouldn’t   do   his   own   homework   cause…   fuck   his   grades   ig   lmao

 he’s   always   had   an   affinity   for   music   but   rarely   found   the   time   to   actually   play   an   instrument   or   write   anything   for   that   matter.   it’d   take   one   really   stubborn   choir   teacher   junior   year   who’d   nudge   him   to   start   turning   the   handful   of   short   poems   he’d   turned   in   for   their   songwriting   project   into   songs.   

you  could  say  mid  highschool  was  really  formative  years  for  the  boy  …  along  with  falling  in  love  with  making  music  he  literally  fell  in  love  FOR  REAL  with  someone  for  the  first  time  !!  soft,  yes.  If  you’re  lucky  he’ll  talk  about  dylan  quite  fondly  buuuuuuuuut  that’s  another  touchy  subject  cause  had  to  keep  it  secret  til  it  all  essentially  fell  apart.  His  mom  had  met  a  handful  of  noel’s  girlfriends  prior  to  dylan  …  and  he  hadn’t  gained  the  bravery  to  tell  her  about  him.  It’s  sad  i’m  sad.  

him  and  his  bois  would  later  collaborate  and  realize  “  hey  we’ve  got  something  good  here !  “ soooo  they  planned  to  move  out  to  la  pursue  the  #bandlife . 

now,  telling  his  mom  about  this  move  led  to  an  EXPLOSIVE  fight  cause,,,  noel  was  basically  helping  support  her  and  he  wouldn’t  be  able  to  do  that  if  the  band  stuff  fell  through.  The  mess  of  the  fight  resulted  in  a  bunch  of  stuff  that  probably  should  have  been  said  and…  noel  coming  out.  great  timing  son.  So  yea,  he  left  the  house  at  the  ripe  age  of  18  and  has  been  hanging  with  his  bros  ever  since.  honestly  pls  protect  him    

         [ 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 ― ❝  LUCKY STRIKE, FILTERTLESS, DON'T PUSH ME.  ❞ ]   

kay  so  if  you  can’t  tell  the  boy  is…  ambitious  !  he’s  the  type  to  believe  in  something  and  throw  his  fully  self  into  it  because  he’s  just  that  dedicated  to  chasing  dreams  .  killer  work  ethic  ,  but  he’s  gotten  a  better  handle  on  balancing  work  and  fun  thanks  to  his  bois.  he  is  insanely  lucky  which  one  pushes  him  to  take  more  risks  

kinda  goes  with  the  last  one  but  he’s  SUCH  an  open  hearted  dude .  that  guy  after  a  break  up  no  matter  how  messy  will  probably  wanna  be  friends  (  but  also  messy  enough  to  turn  exes  into  friends  with  benefits  and  then  catch  feelings  again..  Issa  nasty  cycle  pls  pray  )  

loves  a  party  ,  is  probably  skinny  dipping    and  calling  his  ex  while  drunk  i-  WATCH  HIM  OK?  afskajd

he’s  honestly  so  sweet  and  humble  buuuuut  don’t  think  that  means  self  deprecating  cause  my  son  knows  hes  pretty  .  he’s  got  enough  self  esteem  to  share  and  prioritizes  #selflove  skagja  will  accept  a  compliment  with  a  cheeky  smile  and  a  simple  thank  you.  so,  not  arrogant  but  like  he’s  not  gonna  deny  the  obvious  truth?  lmaooo  

swear  to  god,  he’s  bad  at  keeping  secrets  and  will  let  u  know  how  he  feels.  even  with  crushes  so  unless  he’s  feelin  nervous  for  some  reason  most  likely  he’ll  make  the  first  move.  he’s  a  romantic.  he’s  just  all  around  really  honest

one  direction  STAN :) skfjadk 

 [ 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 ― ❝ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴍɪɴᴅ , ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ ʜᴜɴɴɪᴅꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ❞ ] 

Exes  are  always  great  ,  maybe  a  best  friend  who  isnt’  apart  of  the  band,  general  friends,  bad  influences  who  take  him  to  parties  where  he’ll  inevitably  skinny  dip,  good  influences,  new  crushes,  unrequited  crush  cause  we  love  heart  break,  neighbors,  enemies  (  i  ??  don’t  put  it  past  him  to  have  ended  up  in  a  fight  while  drunk  or  something  cause..  reckless  )  people  he  might’ve  met  in  texas?  His  band  mates  (  if  you’re  lookin  to  bring  a  second  ;)  )  sibling  like  friendships,  anything  sis

[fair-fae]

LOOKING FOR LONGTERM RP CONNECTIONS (BALMUNG)!

FAYE COVINGTON | TUMBLR | WIKI | MIDLANDER| 28 | LE

A morally ambiguous Midlander hailing from the Twelveswood where she was born to an upperclass family (and a secret Garlean lineage). Proprietress of a teahouse that serves as a legit front for an information brokering and private investigations business. Magitek prosthetic hand. Likes to drink tea and sew. Polite, confident, ambitious, low-key sassy. Generally kind, but takes no crap. Hates loyal Garleans. Had some family issues, but they’re all dead now. Conjurer, studying red mage, thinks being immortal would be cool.

Hooks:

Info brokering contacts and customers. Seeking those needing information, who have some juicy info to sell, or wish to work as an outside consultant!

Teahouse patrons and partners. Your character have a business, product, or skill to offer? Maybe they just really love tea and frequent the teahouse a lot?

Does your character know where to find powerful relics, ancient tomes of wisdom, secrets of magic and power, and other probably sketchy things? hmu

Allies, friends, rivals, enemies, you name it.

X’UNMEI NOH | TUMBLR | WIKI | SEEKER | 20 | NG

Shroud-based Lynx tribe runaway and former hobo. Precious cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure. Socially awkward but stubborn. Likes reading, cute things, sweets, and nature. Always hungry. Has a plushie collection too big for her room. Likes to sing but is too shy. Wants to help everyone. Learning magic, healing especially. Resurrected from the dead and may secretly be a necromancer (oops???).

Hooks:

Literally anyone, she will be your friend, probably no matter what.

But especially characters with similar interests and personalities

Anyone interested in trying to study, exploit, or remedy her “condition.”

Bad people she can soften up (or maybe who will harden her up?)

SHADIYAH AMARI | TUMBLR | WIKI | KEEPER | ??? | NE

Cultured thaumaturge and Sharlayan style astrologian from a family of traders, who after an unfortunate, failed romance with a stereotypical Nunh had a Voidsent summoning go awry. Void-tainted. Searching for a cure. Doesn’t like talking to people. Hates having feelings. Secretly likes to cook. Usually wears more jewelry (and makeup) than clothing. Dislikes cold weather. Hates water. Makes a lot of innuendos. Is an asshole in general.

Hooks:

Anyone who might help her find a cure for her Void affliction

Other Void-y people probably

People who take issue with Void-y people probably

Any sad soul who for some reason wants to befriend an angry, brooding, emotionally unstable wallflower

C’THERIN SAPA | TUMBLR | WIKI | SEEKER | 24 | CN

Thanalan Coeurl tribe exile who became an Ul'dahn street urchin. Used prostitution, thievery, and mercenary work to get by. Now has ties to an organized crime syndicate and works as a Gold Saucer girl. Likes sex, drugs, and rock and roll alcohol. Mostly uneducated. Feisty. Tinkerer. Obsessed with Magitek and machinery, wishing to learn more.

Hooks:

Anyone who can supply her with Magitek (or less likely Allagan) parts or knowledge.

Crime pals? Or maybe part of a rival gang pending some discussion?

Customers wanting to buy weapons (guns, bombs, etc.) or other small gadgets or repairs

Buddies to drink and cause trouble with (in Ul'dah, particularly)

AELIUS CORINTHIUS | WIKI | GARLEAN | 32 | LN

Former Garlean general and first-born son of a now deceased Legatus. In bad mental and physical shape after a fall from a bridge over a year ago. Angsty. Unsure where his loyalties lie. Traitor to Garlemald and Eorzea both. Assumed to be dead. Scarred, Magitek prosthetic leg, missing an eye. Keeping his past/identity secret. Realistically, he should be in Kugane right now, but he is only level 50 so please bear with me as I cry and grind out 10+ more levels on a class I hate.

Hooks:

Friends. He has none. He is lonely.

People with strong feelings for or against Garlemald to sway his own uncertain opinions

People who would hire him for small/odd jobs (not yet back in fighting shape to do anything too strenuous or combat-heavy)

Probably anyone on the hunt for Garlean defectors and traitors or even Garleans in general.

OOC Info under cut:

Hello! Some stuff about me!

I am 18+.

This isn’t just a call for new friends! If we’ve RPed or planned to RP before and we fell out of touch, I’d be more than glad to pick things up again!

I prefer dark/mature RP, but it’s not a necessity. I like light-hearted stuff, fluff, and comedy, too.

I am not open to romance, sex, or ERP, nor any RP that is highly sexual or fetish-based.

By “longterm” connections, I mean I hope that we can RP regularly and have our characters play a role in each others’ lives and be a reoccurring part of each other’s stories. We don’t need to RP daily/weekly or anything. I am not looking for a static RP partner, as I have one already and cannot commit to another.

I don’t really have any “plots” of my own going on right now, so if you’re looking for that you’ll be disappointed! I just want to RP and see what ideas we can all come up with.

If you want to do some sort of antagonist/rivals/enemies RP please play fair, communicate openly, and help make it fun and believable for everyone. It shouldn’t be about winning or losing for either of us.

I am fine with pre-established or past connections of any sort (family, friends, rivals, customers, acquaintances, etc.) so long as we can hash them out and they don’t conflict with my character’s story and RP.

I am not currently interested in Discord or tumblr RP, sorry! :( In-game RP on the Balmung server only. If you have to be away from the game for a while or if a scene is too big to do in game, I don’t mind the occasional Discord RP, but I’d like to primarily RP in game and establish a rapport there first.

I am potentially open to joining Discords, linkshells, and free companies for some of these characters. Bear in mind, I’m mostly open to these on my alts who I do not spend a ton of time on. I am also open to others joining my FC and our corresponding Discord.

I like semi para - multi para RP and would prefer to find that. However, I will post-to-match, mainly, and I prefer shorter/rapidfire posts in game during large events or in crowded areas.

I am in EDT, but my schedule is all over the place. We can probably work something out, no matter what your schedule.

My stance on lore is feel free to bend it, but don’t break it. I like a sense of realism and logic in the world, as well, even with all the fantastical elements still kept.

I am looking for something that will blossom into more than just tavern RP or casual social RP. I like them plenty, but I could find them anytime at the Quicksand, I am here for more than that!

If you made it through all that and are not sick of me yet, feel free to contact me here or on Discord: Destiny (Faye)#8463

[rxbelling-hxrald]

200 Followers Appreciation Post!

So here we are at a milestone I honestly didn’t even think I’d reach considering the reboot, my own lack of editing skills and my general inconsistency of being active, yet somehow here we are with all of you proving me wrong. So thank you all ever so much.

Now I want to make this very clear that even if we do not interact much, I love you! Yes, every single one of you who put up with me and this dork of a demon, its been one heck of a trip developing Dan and I couldn’t be happier that you enjoy interacting or even just seeing him about xD.

But right now I’m about to list off a few people in no particular order whom mean a lot to me, even if you are not on this list, please do not feel that I don’t care about you or wouldn’t like to interact, I would love too! its just probably a case of me either forgetting, not having much interactions with you in the first place (probably my fault from being too much of a scaredy cat to approach) or I’m simply stalking you in some fashion :P

Without further ado, to the list!

@rubyxdiamond - One of if not the very first RP partners I had long before the reboot ever occurred, it was this RP blog that I would one day stumble across, read the content and think to myself ‘Oooh, This looks like fun maybe I should try this.’ and as such I did. Ever since then while we haven’t interacted much recently it was her and her partners that helped guide me into getting a proper feel for RP in general on Tumblr and for that I thank you! if it weren’t for you and the friends I made back then, chances are I wouldn’t actually be here right now writing away. You may either feel ashamed or prideful at that fact :P

@sonicforceswolf-foxkind - Also the mun of @infinite-unleashed this amazing mun goes into RP without even having English as their primary language, as such I can understand it would be difficult to try getting into RP with a barrier like this but it doesn’t let her down and she’s always improving! She’s a complete sweetheart and gifts me WAY too often with drawings of Dan and other scenes, a good 60% of my pictures, drawings and reaction icons are from her and I always feel bad because I feel like I do nothing in return, So I want to make this clear right now, Thank you ever so much for your generosity and if there’s anything I can do to return the favor somehow, do tell me. you are both a talented artist and a strong person for not letting your difficulties get in the way.

@theaiexperiment - I don’t think I’ve thrown Dan at Sardonyx for several months now and nor have I spoken to the mun much overall, but I can easily say this is my senpai xD, I adore the writing, the character is brilliant and its always a joy to read through anything posted. I’m not afraid to admit I’ve previously spent ages reading through the archives and going ‘I wish I could write like that.’  This is the blog that I stalk whenever I want writing prompts/inspiration, because you have such a talent for it and I want to be able to match it, whenever we have interacted I’m always feeling so outclassed no matter how long I spend trying to think. At this point I don’t think I can match it, however it doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it in the distance. So keep at it senpai xD

@projectlightfox - I’m sure a lot of you knew this was coming, one of the far more recent RP partners I’ve established with and I’m so ever glad that we did because the twists and turns that have transpired simply over us doing a small greeter to one another (I can’t remember if it was mine or yours though now xD) that have gone to such lengths now I can’t quite believe it, just like Dan with his feelings. I’ve already written previously on a compliment meme that this is one of the most well developed OC blogs I’ve seen, I remember when initially reading through everything I was a little intimidated at the depths of it all with both writing and the characters. I’m really looking forward to what may happen in the future between our interactions and here’s to hopefully several more sessions :). I also have to jokingly state that Dan despite being the strict shy guy he is when it comes to relations, he doesn’t swing towards guys at all....so the fact that Volt has managed to actually have Dan warm up to him to even contemplate it is no small feat.

Mentions of general awesomeness - @thehouseofivo @thehedgedragonandbluehero @getters-blog-index @arkia-of-aromosia @a-wind-of-freedom @thewayfaringhero @daemonichunter @blooming-amaryllis @halfbloodwiththeheart @boundtocruelfates @nozxnexelite @nomadicdark @ray-cherry-blossoms @sonicsbluehoneybuns @sweet-chimera @multi-muse-myth @multifandommultimuse @vindictiime @theyremessingmeup

(Sorry if I missed any here, you’ll know who you are in sec) Be it from past interactions or current interactions, your RPs in general, your characters, the mun talks, the gifts, the reasons are all different but to all of you I say thank you and keep being awesome, because no matter how small or big our moments have been, I’ve enjoyed them and appreciate them, some of you have different or multiple blogs even and the same holds true to them too.

More awesome RPers - @archaeologist-amari @tinyredartist @artificial-freedom-fighter @notsoregal @thegreateststorm @evangelinefate @gathering-storm @keepinganimmortalworld @glare-the-fox @musxaders

(I know there’s more of you than this but I generally am struggling to remember the names of all) Our interactions have in most cases have either been even more obscure or further back or we’ve not long started, some we’ve only ever spoke or RPed once even, but that doesn’t mean by any standard that I think any less, I thank you for the follows and RPs we’ve done even if we don’t speak as much anymore, maybe in the future it’ll change? I don’t know but don’t think I’ll forget the memories or the fun that has been had.

‘The hey I know you exist and we totally should do stuff but I’m a wimp’ mentions -  @needf0rspeed @statiicfangs @mobianlegend @pennedbypom @smileimi @sonorous-strings @charlotte-liddel @theroguesofbabylon @sistersoffireandice @xblccding-dxrkncssx

(Again I know there’s more here) So why am I bringing you up? simple, I’m just letting you know that the want is there, I mean if your following me and I’m most likely following you, I’d be more than happy to discuss or plan or whatever, I’m interested! But guess what, either I’m being a coward and not saying hello, I’m being nervous when I see an open or I’m generally clueless as to what to say or do in how we could actually start anything, maybe your in the same boat as me and that’s fine, but I’m just letting you know and thanking you for following regardless :)

[cerealwatch]

Okay so

Oh boy. Okay. I’d love to talk about all things Overwatch with you! Just… be prepared for some salt about certain characters. These are just my opinions.

I’m gonna put this under read more because this is gonna be long, my friend.

OKAY okay so. Let’s start at the beginning. The Overwatch timeline is really, really confusing. The Overwatch lore is confusing in general. I have no idea what happens when, but thankfully someone (I can’t remember who, but they’re a savior) made a reasonable timeline of the Overwatch events.

However, new things keep getting added and I’m???? I’m confused but. Like. The Uprising event. I thought Ana died 10 years prior to present Overwatch time but the Null Sector mission took place 7 years ago so like???? You just have to freestyle. The timeline is basically nonexistent so all I have to say on that is I just do whatever the hell I want with the timeline and nobody makes a fuss because we all share that apathy. No one cares about the timeline. It’s not even worth the effort to try to piece it together.

And I mean, the information we have on most of the characters is really vague??? I mean it gives me a lot of room to experiment and stuff but I’d love to have something solid on the characters that aren’t part of the original strike team or the Shimada Bros (because god knows how much Chu favors those two).

Like, D.Va, Symmetra, Zarya, Mei, Emily… they get ignored. Entirely. We only have mere snippets of them to work with and even then, I don’t have a fucking clue. It’s upsetting, really, but I assume (and hope, and pray, and wish, and need) we’ll get like a comic or an animation on one of theme here soon.

Well, we’d better. Or something for Pharah or Mercy because I SWEAR TO GOD if its something for the characters that already have SUBSTANTIAL LORE to work with I’m gonna be upset. I’m already upset. I’ll just be even more upset.

Like at this point there’s only a select few characters I even relatively give a shit about? But I figure I’ll just go through every character and state my opinion on them.

Genji - “I NEED HEALING I NEED HEALING I NEED HE—“ This is the ultimatum of Genji. He’s a double-edged sword. I can’t find it in myself to like him, not after everything. I won’t let myself say that I hate him, but I just… I can’t appreciate his character. In theory, his design in aesthetically appealing, and his backstory is dark in a way that I might have been able to enjoy were it not Genji. But at this point, he’s too far out of reach. His gameplay is not one that works well with mine, as a Mercy main, and the people who play him are THE MOST toxic in all the Overwatch community, hands down. And when I don’t heal him, Genji players don’t understand that maybe it’s because I have no idea where the fuck they are. Maybe it’s because they’re on the other side of the goddamn map and boy, would I love to heal you, but I can’t if you aren’t within reach of my health noodle. Maybe it’s because they’re jumping head first into the enemy team, and I may be healer, but my priority first and foremost is to keep MYSELF alive, so if you die in .2 seconds it’s not my fault.

In my opinion, Genji contributes nothing to a team, and where Overwatch is TEAM FOCUSED game, I can’t see the point in having him on a team. I can’t see the point in risking my life to heal him. I don’t see what he brings to the table. I won’t let myself hate him because Genji, as a character, deserves better than what people who play him make him, but I don’t see his value.

McCree - I could care less about McCree. I don’t have a set opinion in him. His character is extra in a way that is almost comical, and I can appreciate the McCree & Pharah sibling dynamic. It’s cute. And McCree is fun to play, I will admit. But as for what happens to him, I could care less. His character interactions are boring. His personality isn’t interesting. So while I don’t dislike him, simply because he’s fun and weird, I really just don’t care about him. At all.

Pharah - I LOVE HER I love her so much. I love Fareeha “Pharah” Amari. I love her because she’s everything you need for a commander, and I love her because she loves everyone. Like, she can be stern and strategic and harsh but she also cares so much for her teammates. I love her because of her morals— her tendency to defend, her instinctual need to protect. This is her life. This is what she was born to do— protect, and love, and if anyone should be the face of net-overwatch it had damn well better be her. I love her because her comfort can be the wisest of words and it can be the smallest of brushes of shoulders in the hallways and I love her because both of those comforts can mean the same thing in different contexts. I love her because when her mother left, she wasn’t understanding, fucking hell she was bitter. And you can hear it in her interactions that, maybe, she’s still bitter, she’s still mad at her mom for leaving. She certainly isn't upset for her mother putting her work above her child, but she’s bitter because she’s doing what she loves in protecting people and the only thing she can think of is how much her mother would disapprove. I don’t like what the fandom has done to her in making her character revolve solely around her mother, because while Ana certainly made her who she is, she doesn't define her. She’s the Strike Commander that the new Overwatch deserves.

Reaper - At the beginning, before we had any background on what he was like before the fall, I disliked him. I thought he was boring and his gameplay was dull and he was just some angsty teen wearing every clusterfucked article of clothing in Hot Topic. But now, now that I have lore, I love this man. I love his dedication and the fact that it wasn’t jealousy, it never was, but it was the fact that Overwatch wasn’t doing jack shit while the world crumbled in London. He deserved so much more than what he got— his strike team of fuck-ugly Overwatch rejects. Talon fucked him up but I think, deep down, he’s still just sad about what could have been and he just wants to take Widow and Sombra on vacation to Hawaii and not have to think about war or blood or Blackwatch or Talon ever again. If Pharah is the leader Overwatch needs now, he was the leader Overwatch deserved but never got, the one who cared about the troops and the cause so much that he would go so far as to forsake the law to fight for what he believed in. Easily one of my favorites.

Soldier: 76 - FUCK THIS MAN fuck him and his stupid white bread face and fuck his dumb aimbot let and FUCK the 12 year olds who can’t aim that play him. Fuck the people that see him as some dumb fucking father figure because he’s not he's a dumb, salty asshat who can’t accept the fact that Overwatch’s fall was his own dumb fault like the selfish fucking motherfucker he is. But most importantly, FUCK his stupid, unoriginal gameplay and his stupid unoriginal backstory. Blizzard thought they were being clever when they took Call of Duty and slapped a Yankee cap on it and called him Soldier: 76 but they weren’t. Fuck this dumb blonde-haired-blue-eyed poster boy that can’t get over his cardboard ass. Fuck him.

Sombra - Her voice actress is a gift and her gameplay is actually super useful if used correctly and her character has a lot of potential and dynamic, especially with Reaper and Widowmaker, but I just can’t get super into her??? Like she’s really, really cool in terms of overall design and people who write her, kudos to you, but I can only appreciate her from a distance. Sometimes I wish I could like her more, but I can’t I just… can’t. She’s not for me.

Tracer - SHE’S SO IMPORTANT so important in so many ways. First and foremost, she’s the face of Overwatch and she’s gay and that’s cool. That’s super cool. I mean, it’s a small step forwards, but it’s a step in the right direction. Furthermore, she is important in that she is the heart and soul of Overwatch. She is what makes it a hero organization. She gives it that natural, friendly appeal. But even further, she loves so freely and openly. But she’s not perfect, and thats what I think is the best thing about her. She couldn't save Mondatta, and she beat herself up over it. She fell through time and space and she wasn't fine afterwards. She still isn't fine, but the most important thing is that she moves forward. That’s why she is one of my top three favorite characters. (In relation to There’s Blood in the Water, I gave her the ‘healing hands’ trope for this reason. It’s in her nature to care, so when she helps Hana along her way, it comes naturally to her not because she pities Hana, but because it’s in her nature to care.)

Bastion - Play of the Game Simulator 2k17. A one-button masterpiece of a game where you look in one direction and shoot and wow! Look! You got a kill. Good job, you special snowflake you. A+ gameplay 10/10 would recommend.

Hanzo - I don’t like him. He’s just a fucking idiot is what he is. Nothing, absolutely nothing of what he did to Genji was justified. Like, if I was mad at my brother for enjoying the simple things in life would I be mad? I mean, sure, but like if I were the heir to the empire anyways I wouldn’t see a damn problem. But like, even if I were mad, why the fuck would I kill him over it? It just makes no fucking sense. There’s no reason. There is absolutely no reason someone should ever be so angry as to see murder as the only solution. There’s just no situation, especially with a sibling, someone you share your flesh and blood and your fucking life with, where murder is justifiable. Hanzo fucked up when he ‘killed’ Genji and any guilt he feels by that decision is what he deserves. Anything that comes his way, he fucking deserves that shit. Honestly, he’s lucky that his brother found in in himself to forgive him because, if like, my older sister tried to kill me because she was upset I was having sex rather than, say, paying my bills, I would be pretty fucking upset.

Junkrat - This dumb fcuking garbage man. You don’t need to aim to play him. You don’t need any level of experience with Overwatch to play him. Honestly he’s just so dislikeable???? I honestly can’t believe there are people that actually LIKE his character and ENJOY his play style. It’s just… so hard for me to believe. He’s so dumb. He’s SO DUMB. You don’t need to AIM to play him. And the people that ship him with Symmetra and Mei I’m just??? You really think they would let him within 10 feet of them??? Because you are sorely mistaken. This stinky rat man needs to go in the trash bin where he belongs.

Mei - Okay like she’s actually a fucked up character?? People overlook the fact that she was the sole survivor of the Ecopoint incident. Like, can you imagine that? Waking up one day after everything had gone to shit, coming out of the cryopod and looking around and realizing that you were the only one that made it out alive. And it would be weeks before help arrived so just waking up every morning and seeing those frozen bodies in the windows of the cryopods. Can you imagine what that would do to someone? So like the fact that she is able to stay so upbeat and focus on her dreams is beyond me. Like the nightmares from that shit would be fucking wild. Just… respect Mei, man. She’s got her scars.

Torbjörn - I mean, despite the nonexistent level of skill that is required to play him, he’s not that bad? I like envisioning him as a total family man. Like, drops everything to cal his wife just to tell her he loves her. Even in the middle of battle. Loves all of his children and sends them souvenirs from wherever his missions take him. Names every single one of his turrets and encourages them, like ‘I believe in you, Linda, you can do it!’ or ‘Come on Olaf, just a little longer and then we win!’ I feel like he would just… take in anyone under his wing. You need help fixing something? He’ll help. You need to rant? He’ll listen. Albeit, it’s in a bit of a roundabout way, but he has seven kids and he knows how to listen. Fuck Dad: 76, where are my Dad Torb fics? You know, the guy who actually has children?

Widowmaker - Out of every character in this goddamn shitting addictive game, I think her lore is, by far, the most interesting. Capture by Talon and programmed to kill her husband at just the right moment, then released back under pretenses that everything was fine— I doubt even she knew what was wrong with her until it was too late, and then that guilt was manipulated and twisted until they had their perfect weapon. The Widowmaker. And I think, subconsciously, she’s aware of what she’s done, aware that she’s messed up beyond repair and that she’s done horrible things. And I think that’s what drives her to, eventually, let herself be taken in by Overwatch (purely a headcanon of mine). Eventually, she will have a redemption arc, and it will be long and hard and she won’t be the same. The idea that Amélie is still in there, somewhere, is pretty childish in my opinion because nobody’s the same after torture, and on the degree hers was supposedly at, there’s no possible way. She won’t revert back to what she was. After all that happened to her, she’ll never be the same. But she can start over.

D.Va - DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON D.VA don’t even. I love her SO FUCKING MUCH. I love her SO MUCH that I wrote 85k words that’s basically torture porn that was put in a blender with a healthy dose of introspection and PTSD. I love her character, I love her gameplay, and more than anything else, I love her ult. But I also hate her, and before you ask why, I’ll make my case.

I hate what this fandom and Blizzard have done to her. I fucking hate it. There’s nothing that could get me to hate you more, or shut you out of my life more than saying you think the ‘gaming gremlin’ thing is funny. Because that shit’s disrespectful. It attacks D.Va’s character and it attacks gamers and it attacks 19-year-olds and the case they make? “It’s funny. It’s just a joke.” No. Shut the fuck up. That shit hurts. You don’t know how hurtful it is. You don’t know how hurtful it is to be disrespected like that. And that’s why Blood in the Water is the way it is because I know that shit and it fucking hurts.

The only thing I could possible hate more than that is infantilizing her. Is lowering to such a standard where she’s nothing more than a child in a catsuit. There is nothing more disrespectful than taking her character— a soldier, a war hero, a celebrity, and a survivor— and thinking: “She’s just a child!” Fuck you. She’s nineteen. She’s every bit an adult as the rest of them. She has seen war and she has seen death. People she loved have died. Her home was destroyed, but that doesn't matter to the fandom, does it? They take her and degrade her into nothing more than Jack Fucking Morrison’s “baby girl” and there’s nothing that makes me angrier. Write stories about her and her PTSD. Write stories about her and the imminent guilt that comes with being a commander in a war. Write stories about her coping with the weight of a country on her shoulders. But I swear to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, don’t write stories about her being nothing more than a fucking Dorito imp. Because I see enough of that shit in her tag already.

Orisa - I mean, I don’t really have enough information to come to a solid conclusion about Orisa, but I can go with some basics. Her gameplay is a little dull— it copies off of way too many preexisting characters. Her design is fucking brilliant, but her skill set is almost as dull as Soldier: 76’s. Despite that, I actually like her quite a bit— she’s the Baymax of Overwatch, and Efi’s the Hiro. I’d let this centaur robocop lady hold me any day.

Reinhardt - I love sad grandpa who just wants to support everyone in whatever they do. He’s such a pure and wholesome character. Even if you don’t believe in yourself, you can bet your ass he’ll pick you up off the ground and help you the rest of the way. He cares so deeply about his comrades, and I think that’s what makes him such a lovable character. He just cares so deeply, even about people he doesn’t know too well. Love this grandpa. Also, did I hear dad figure to Mercy because you bet your ass I headcanon that shit.

Roadhog - I often forget he’s a character until I get hooked through 16 walls, the multiverse, and my entire team. It’s a fucking adventure.

Winston - He’s trying his best to lead Overwatch but I don’t think he’s cut out for it. And honestly, his character is really bizarre in a way that I don’t even know how to react to it. He’s a genetically modified gorilla from the fuck shitting moon, not to mention he can talk and his only friend is an unbelievable mom-like voice on a futuristic iPad. He’s like McCree in that he’s extra, but it isn’t even funny with him. It’s just plain weird.

Zarya - Zarya, I feel, is the most underrated in Overwatch’s roster. You don’t see any stories delving into her, you don’t see lore in her favor. She has few character interactions (but the ones she has are, by far, amazing). I would love to see more work of her, just because she’s such a likable character (come on, that pink hair just takes the cake). Maybe, someday, I’ll get around to writing her more because writing her is fun as all hell. I just want her to hold me in those big, strong arms of hers and make my depression and anxiety back the fuck off. Holy damn. She’s like the cool older sister that everybody needs.

Ana - Honestly, I’m actually kind of bitter about Ana. I can’t forgive what she did to Pharah. I don’t understand why or how she could bring herself to do that. But I believe that, more than any other character, she has the potential to make amends. You can tell, in the dialogue they have, the backstory they could potentially share, that they want to make amends, but it’ll be hard because who can blame Pharah for being bitter? Ana understands. In fact, she probably thinks she deserves it herself. I can’t imagine how guilty she would feel, how much she would worry that after so long, her only daughter might not want anything to do with her anymore, but she’ll try because she refuses not to make amends before her time comes. And, in time, things will ease into the way it should have been all along, and all she can think of is how lucky she is to have such a daughter.

Lúcio - This boy. He believes in you. The most supportive support to ever support. But his story isn’t that deep. His character is shallow in a way I can’t interest myself in. Like, sweet prince, I love you, but you aren’t really all that important to me. But I will always do my best to protect this boy.

Mercy - You know, when I got this game, I told myself I wouldn’t become a Mercy main. I told myself that because I’d read how hard and unrewarding it was. But now, with somewhere close to 85 hours clocked into her, I can only laugh at myself. And really, it is unrewarding. You gain nothing from playing her. It’s hard and it’s stressful and it makes you bitter and there just… isn't an upside. But I’ll keep playing her because if I’m good at being stressed and bitter and exhausted. My friends jokingly call me the ‘Unsupportive Support’ and really, that’s what Mercy is in-game. But no matter how unrewarding it is, I swear to god, there is NO BETTER feeling than watching your teammates all getting sucked into a graviton surge, knowing they’re going to die, and looking down and seeing that you have rez. There’s no better feeling than gliding in there and watching that 5x appear on your screen and this grin spreads across your face because you know, and the enemy team that failed to kill you knows they’ve fucked up big time. NO BETTER FEELING than a five-man rez.

But in terms of lore, personality, and interaction, she’s actually really interesting and fun to write just because I can relate to her so heavily. There’s no way she sleeps on a normal schedule. There’s no way she’s all sunshine and rainbows and pretty pearly smiles. There’s no way she’s anything other than exhausted all the time, kept awake only by heavy overdoses of caffeine. Like, the so obviously hypocritical factor about her is such a likable work. She makes sure everyone else keeps their health in check and then neglects her own. It makes her feel like such a human character. And her interactions? Some of the best in the game (namely with Pharah because that is the good shit). I love Mercy. Second favorite character, and by far the most relatable.

Symmetra - And here she is, the most ignored, underplayed character in the game. She has like, a grand total of ONE character interaction. And what’s worse is that she’s such an interesting character? Her internal conflict of work vs ethic is such a cool concept, and yet we don’t see anything of it. We just have to speculate. Does she regret what she’s done? Is she aware of the wrongness of it? Her comic didn’t help settle anything other than clarify that, at heart, she really is a good person. She really is just trying to make the world a better place, but the interesting thing is that she doesn’t know, perhaps, that what she’s doing with Vishkar isn’t good. It’s hurting more people than it helps. Her character has so much potential for grown, not that Blizzard will ever delve into it. She has potential to realize what she’s done and it’s not in her to wallow in it, but to do what she can to make it better. Which is why, I think, she joined Overwatch. That’s the thing about Blizzard— their little eggshell biographies don’t show the true intents of the characters, it doesn’t show their scars or their morals. And that’s what Satya needs most— her morals have been twisted from the beginning, her scars covered in invisible ink. Her life, all she knows, has been a lie, and when she realizes that, it’ll be a shitshow.

Also, that death noodle. It melts so fast. Why isn’t she played more? Who needs Reaper as a tankbuster when you could have Symmetra?

Zenyatta - Zenyatta is cool, but I think everyone always overlooks the fact that he’s only 20 years old? Like yeah he’s a monk but if you’ve seen 20 year olds they ain’t exactly saints. Let Zenyatta wear hoodies. Let Zenyatta make off-kilter jokes that no one expects because, well, its Zenyatta. He’s the universal vent-station and resident therapist of Overwatch, but let Zenny have some quirks, too. Writing him is super fun though because it’s just like ‘if I wasn’t constantly having an existential crisis what would I be like?’