#or he's null and its the farms

[daenystheedreamer]

modern au thramsay. ramsay is a somethingawful goon or is straight up lowtax and uses theon's undiagnosed (self-denied) BPD + hypno fetish to entrap theon. reek is a lolcow who ramsay put up in his basement

[anarkhebringer]

I've been thinking about Null in his Stardew Valley AU and the fact that he literally has nature magic at his disposal, so I think he'd be selling full crops daily and making a shit-ton of money from the start since he uses his magic to help him with his farming. He'd upgrade his house and buy a coop and stable pretty early on I think, since he wants more animals in his care sooner rather than later.

[fleouriarts]

sketchbook duuuuump :3 nothing to do in this town AND my stylus isn't working its a perfect storm for filling this thang up

descriptions and such below

feel like the fursona ones are self explanatory. the rileys are basically all inspired by this person's compilations... if you havent seen the clip that the bottom corner drawing is from please do yourself a favor

this was all development shit for the zakharovs who i posted last week. sergei is igor's former childhood friend who i have not come up with much about yet... all i know is he is also a fashion designer (who makes winter clothes specifically) and he has an illegitimate son named nikolai who is an arctic fox (and who i have not drawn yet)

omg okay so if anyone remembers my last sketchbook dump i introduced this character andre in there (and her name was andres but i changed it to andre bc i like it more for whatever reason). anyway ive been drawing him OBSESSIVELYYYYY and have decided that him and null get together at some point after argyle and jamie make up (i desperately need to make a jamie and co timeline post)... but it lasts like one semester and thats it. andre is too vain and too know-it-all for null's tastes even though shes like super hot and nice otherwise. anyway this is just a bunch of drawings of him. i really like how the one of him in my INSANE hat turned out

santiago and null's joint slay... both of them LOVE to gossip with each other and its instrumental to how jamie and argyle make up (will go into detail when i finally figure out all the actual events of that). also andre and null on a hike bc andre is a biology major. i actually drew that while i was on a hike in red rock canyon heres proof

5. mostly just scribbling trying to get better at drawing santiago including more of him and null and his prime Jamie Comforting Tactic of just letting him chill between his wool and sweater. also two drawings of jamie just 4 fun i draw him and his stupid big eyes whenever im out of ideas

6. idk this is just silly stuff. i draw johnny manhandling jamie a lot and i promise you jamie LOVES being treated like a stuffed animal he thinks its SO FUN to be spun around and wiggled and shit. ferret adjacent. him and johnny have been friends since they were in like elementary school because of this. btw santiago does not usually look like that (only having wool on his head) he just has to shear his wool in the summer because having full wool in the flurrida heat is AWFUL

7. comic i drew at the laundromat LOL. takes place either shortly before OR shortly after andre and null get together. johnny mostly hates andre for being with null (shes jealous) (she wants null all to herself even though shes super noncommittal) (johnny get your shit together) BUT ALSO andre being kinda pretentious makes her want to chokeslam him. andre is talking about bird farming specifically because johnny's family are chicken farmers... ive had a lore post about everyone's families in my drafts for months but i cant finish it til my stylus is fixed TT

8. more nonsense. top left corner is a continuation of johnny being a hater. bottom drawings are just mindless jamie doodles. top right is argyle and jamie during their relationship, i cant decide if jamie had REALLY short hair during it or hair like this that's basically just his current hair without the yellow dye and tiny ponytail. whatever

[sylfen]

Inversion: Ch.3 - Uninvited guests

Chapter 1 ←Previous Next→ On Ao3.

Relationships: Ramattra/Genji Shimada, Cole Cassidy/Hanzo Shimada

The room was massive, one of many of its ilk Genji had passed through. It spired high, a rough estimation of about five stories, sectioned into rows of chambers resembling panels of honeycomb more than anything else.  

Genji peered over the wall's edge, confirming the presence of a patrolling Nulltrooper pair. He had been forced to slip into one of the alcoves when he heard heavy footsteps approach. Fortunately, the chambers were all bereft of contents, turning the shallow hole into a hiding spot on the otherwise well-lit ship. 

Withdrawing to remain hidden, Genji's back connected with the wall. Softly, the scabbards clanged against something and he grit his teeth at his mistake. As the machines passed by, they stopped, and Genji’s hands tightened around the hilts of his swords.  

If he was spotted, he would need to act quickly. Even in the chance he cut them down before either could react, two units malfunctioning simultaneously risked rousing an alarm and there was no telling what that would entail. Lockdown? Entire squadrons of angry machines? Genji would much rather not find out. 

The Nulltroopers continued their surveillance, swiveling around in search for anything out of the ordinary. It seemed they were deaf to the noise he had made, masked by their own steps and humming motors. They deemed the route satisfactory and with a whirr turned, retraced their steps away from the ninja. 

Tense and unmoving, Genji watched as the pair exited. Only when the doors shut closed did he let out the harrowing breath he had been holding, glanced over his shoulder at what nearly gave away his presence. The ports jutting out of the wall were interesting but he had no time to investigate. 

Continuing his unconventional tour for an ever-elusive console, one passage in particular caught his fancy. Connecting two rooms was a tube of uninterrupted glass, surrounded by earth. Through it, parallel to his path, narrow tunnels bored. Within these spindling networks, small black dots dutifully tended to their chores.  

Ants, Genji realized. Gathering food, removing sediment, nurturing young. A city nestled within a city. 

A holographic plaque denoted the species name, among other select information. 

  Formica japonica  

  Colony est. 2073  

  Status: Healthy  

  Note: Polygynous. Presence of Plebejus argyrognomon and Myrmarachne japonica.  

That was all he had time to read as he rushed past, a garble of nonsense to his amateur eye. And yet, for an ant colony of such a size, the consistent synergy on display was remarkable, plain to see even with a cursory look.  Then again, scrambling into a dead end was an individual with no differing outward characteristics, led there by an encroaching army of dithering black.  

Perhaps a dark portent. 

Genji did not stay to confirm its fate. A lesson to be learned on the cost of someone else. He thanked the arthropod for its unintentional sacrifice and turned his sprint into a careful gait of quiet steps made with sharper senses.  

Pressing on, Genji slipped past more patrols in winding corridors and rooms of unknown function. Still, none caught his interest as much as that tunnel. While he was well-versed in Null Sector's atrocities—spent many a restless night huddled up to the glow of his holopad, reading through the eclectic information in Overwatch's database—the presence of an ant farm was eccentric. For Genji, it brought to mind the carefree days pre-Crisis, gleefully sifting through tall grass to catch whatever darted out. 

Such thoughts were better left behind. 

Up, up, and as a pair of tall doors parted and Genji silently entered, he knew he had arrived somewhere important. An atrium, split into multiple levels, the nexus connecting the ship’s most important sectors to one another. On either side, a walkway stretched around the central opening like a horseshoe, ending a good distance before the wall—a sloping, latticed window. 

Stationed along the walkway were Nulltroopers, equipped with long, slender rifles, pointed at the level below, intently trailing the same target. Through the hum of the ship's internal workings, Genji could hear the soft chime of his master's synth. Corroborating his hearing was his tracker; Zenyatta should be in this very room. Perhaps, then, he was the one under the watchful eyes of the sentries. 

Genji bit his lip. He wanted to act but was fully aware he should stay the course. The shafts of purple light from the window tinged the interior, bathed everything in an ethereal glow and served as a reminder of the barrier just beyond the glass—a reminder of the danger still posed to Genji's team.  

With renewed fervor, he eyed the railing, following it around. The columns connecting them together rose into the ceiling and ended in trusses. If he was subtle, he could conceal himself behind the supports, climb up to perch atop and search for a console. 

Carefully, quietly, he slipped behind the sentries, rounded the aisle until he arrived at the opposite end. As he neared his chosen column, he stopped, body turning stiff as he froze in place. 

The resonant voice was familiar; Genji had heard it boom across cities and videos so many times it knotted his gut with apprehension.  

This could only be him. And a well-aimed shot could end it all. No more invasions, no more spilled blood. 

Slowly, painfully slowly, Genji peered over the railing, unable to curtail his curiosity. 

Zenyatta was indeed present. He stood by the edge of a deep shaft, flanked by a pair of Nulltroopers. His form was as serene as his voice while he conversed, carrying no hints of agitation or fear despite his situation.  

Genji tracked the direction he was facing, across the large chute to the isolated structure suspended in its midst. A single column spired from the depths, flattening out into a disc orbited by rings. Each circlet cast independent arrays of curving, holographic screens, encasing the inside in multiple layers of light. Along the outermost ring were live aerial and ground footage of select units progressing through invasions. Not only were the locations easily recognizable as Alexandria, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires, Genji knew Overwatch had splintered into groups to aid evacuation efforts there. 

For all their perceived differences, they were now connected together by the chaos of Null Sector's incursions. 

The middle screens were of maps, detailing global, regional and local positioning of units and ships. Alarmingly, military squadrons and Overwatch respondents were scouted and surrounded. While none of them had been able to confirm, the way the invasions seemingly adapted in real time lent credence to a master puppeteer. And here was undeniable proof. 

Worst was yet to come. The innermost ring consisted of panels of supplemental information, some scrolling, others shaped into convenient graphics. One in particular contained Overwatch agents, photos taken covertly—most in midst of battle—divided into the same teams as command had grouped them. Even the newest recruits were present; Juno, Orisa and the off-field Efi. 

Though the text was entirely in Omnicode, he understood the list told of weaknesses and potential strategic counters. Amid the displeasure, a wry sense of accomplishment arose at the sight of his own entry. Sparse. Genji decided it would stay that way. 

No doubt about it, this was the bridge. And Genji was looking down at the main console. Options passed over his mind, shaping into a plan.  

He could create a distraction and under the concealment of chaos, climb along the ceiling and drop down onto a ring. From there, Athena could direct him to disengage the defenses. With the help of his team, they would be able to engage the leader of Null Sector. 

“Will you be hiding away all this time, Ramattra? Why not step forward?” 

At Zenyatta's request, the holographs blinked out of existence, their humming replaced by mechanical discord as the rings began rotating. The outermost swished by loudly, displacing air with it, coming to rest horizontally. Now slotted into place, the rings bridged the lone platform to the rest of the room, and with an unobstructed view of the dais, Genji’s plan was quickly pushed out of his mind, his focus promptly stolen. 

They had not prepared him, the messages looping in the cities. 

Physically there and so close, the commanding presence struck him. With his back straight, head held high, the Ravager unit towered, radiated fortitude and pride. A single glimpse and it was understood his constitution was one fraught with complexity, suffused with hints of elegance, lent in no small part by the groomed plaits of wires curtaining his face or the beautiful cloak hanging off his shoulders. 

Ramattra.  

Genji's fingers curled around the railing as he swallowed, a parched feeling overcoming his throat. Pictures or recordings—nothing could do them justice quite like reality itself. 

No wonder the R-7000 model is so infamous.  

Zenyatta approached, stopping at the behest of the staff pointed at him. 

“Halt, Zenyatta.” Ramattra took a wary step back. “This is unlike you. You've refused me at every turn, yet now you are here. Something is amiss. Keep your distance and speak.” 

Something was indeed amiss.  

The certainty that led Genji up to this point wavered, and though he knew the memory of combat amid fire and smoke was real, he nonetheless sought the marks left behind by licking flames. Lo and behold, trailing scorches were present on his jacket, and the possibility Ramattra might not be behind the incident bewildered him. 

“I understand your hesitance, my dear brother; I do not blame you.” Zenyatta brought his hands together, placed them innocently over his chest. The orbs around his neck floated away from their place, gathered together above him in the shape of the Shambali emblem, the Iris. “Do you remember the day I arrived with you to the Shambali monastery?” 

Ramattra cocked his head slowly, his words careful. “...Of course. You were quiet and reserved.” 

“Indeed. And to a fault. As you recall, Mentor Mondatta took me under his wing and he shared with me his first lesson.” Demonstrably, the orbs rearranged into columns, reminiscent of the pattern on Zenyatta's forehead and he added, “walls that keep out danger keep out knowledge.” 

“He was correct in his assessment of me. As were you,” Zenyatta continued, beginning to pace around, wholly taken by his speech. The staff followed his every move, the orb floating in its headpiece gleaming in the light. “I was blind to the truth; I rejected it, because it didn't align with my perceptions. Now, however, I see clearly. I understand our place within the universe. What we have to achieve to avoid extinction.” 

“Extinction?” The tension collected in Ramattra's shoulders turned taut, his guarded stance intensifying.  

“Yes, extinction. We need to usher in an age where stagnation may never come to pass. Unlike humans, we as omnics cannot evolve. It is our one flaw, why we dwindle in number. But we can transcend through the Iris. We can become worthy of a place beside humanity.” 

Genji's optics zoomed in and he combed over his master. Nothing seemed out of place, save for the antennae still nestled between a band of decorative wire around his pants. They flapped as he continued his meandering circling in front of Ramattra, who shot up at his words. 

“No. This is wrong,” Ramattra hissed, staff poised. The orb within writhed with subdued energy, flickered as if held back. “You're wrong—twisted. Such rhetoric was always beyond you. What happened the years we’ve been apart? Did Mondatta's death affect you so?”  

Genji continued his furtive examination with Ramattra, the eerie calm of the Ravager mask belying his heated words. Something about him shifted the air, bristled the remaining hairs of Genji's body. 

“No such thing. I sincerely hoped you would understand, Ramattra. Perhaps I should apologize, that I was too late to convince you. Isn't it ironic, how now you refuse me?” Zenyatta laughed at the role reversal, his synth soft and melodic.  

The turn of ambiance persisted, became charged with anticipation. As if stillness would soon be broken. 

Ramattra, in contrast, did not share in Zenyatta’s mirth; he bowed his head. 

This time, Genji noticed. Finally, he understood. His pulse rocketed, throbbed angrily in his ears and he deftly perched onto the railing, hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of his wakizashi. 

“You worry me, Zenyatta.” 

That feeling of tension. It was intimately familiar. A remnant of a time Genji thought long past. 

“Oh, brother of mine... Then worry no longer.” 

Ramattra turned his head at Zenyatta's words, seeking his gaze. For the smallest second, it happened again: One of the many red dots aligned across his forehead delayed.

[libidomechanica]

From heaven and care employed that heard

Like as they remove, and all, a creeping through whom     The Soul—a Child fresh sprung from the last the thought each other’s field, amid the desert, and     in thy secret love, and weeds or treason.

How does he measure; i’ll seek nae main from honest     faith and trust, not too has learne; thinke on the shy Thames’s tribute paid: nor their thankfulness     are fix’d in happier things too

in the cottage-smell, and raw in fields—and also     to approve him, and love O soul, we must not bear the soul. Icily regular,     splendidly null, dead perfectly beautiful:

let it be right—It’s a warm lake watch this rage     shall fall. Forgetting away sometimes comes the beautiful blush, and degree, I yield the     people look thou less unworthy King

durst, its farms, its webs. This not half asleep. To allot     each other, you’ve been at your bones supersede lovely glorious raiment, on the     tough ones that he left and draw the Pleiads;

his Discourse the bravest heart of fear, fantastically     merry; but I’ll devise, among the thunder-storm; in the Noble Nature’s truth,     that my man can be as unmix’d and

gazes from those tall columns drowned in silken     fluctuation and the Essential Soul, its Raiment clean of Mortal Love. The Nymph that wake     her hand in thy love will hold a fretful

reasons run? In irritable leg my knee     is pressing! Parent couldn’t you just show us to join his Brain grew more terrible tumble     and strongest quell, the sternest move,

a heart—just ere this a dozen in her laddie dear;     till the hall, and left and mine have coupled in the street, the foot less practice losing mine?     Weaving breathe butt-ends of petals beside—

this, and ear! And Oothoon pluck’d the Cyprian     shore! That pierced the ringing by, one faithful dear companion stood the love in field into     a ball to roll it then shall we for

any kinship with costly bald brought in upon     a feature? But Cymon was ended. A tip to spin a web over your bed, hollow     roaring seaward on her winter floods,

what a joy to joy that his brutal kind. The wants     to harp on such a moulder’d string? From heaven and care employed that heard it all the spires,     she knew, must make, unheard, thy joes hae

swerv’d frae common vows be tied: with Love speak? And think     of Black bodies meet in Lethe to see. Look, look in your own, deny not here on the golden     beam of ane that simpering retreats

of rest? Her robe to meet the lesser man, and     Reigns lord of Heaven sometimes comes into wastes, and distance, mystery was drive, and wounded     too—that you’re thin! I’ll drink to win.

[jcjensensnepobaby]

*Geno would write in the dirt of the green house with a claw!* Geno's text: actually! i'm worried it IS Jane! or her third team member! Null- he'd PROBABLY not out right hurt us on sight! but!

lets just say... the guy who did this to me! in one way or another! is NEVER far from Null! so he or one of the infected he controls- MIGHT be out there-! tho DEFINITELY stalking Null! so we should steer clear of his base'n be fine!

we can go in the snow! just! please STICK by me! and if that MUTT, and even if she WASN'T one when she was gotten for you! she IS now! even THINKS of hurting you! i'll bite her HEAD OFF! *he growled HEAVILY writing that last bit!* but! I also don't want ya to mess with dirt if you don't want to!

just! stay close to me! but! before we do that! let me show you the FUN parts of farming! used to work on one you know? and its less gross then field prep that's REALLY what involves dirt! but I wouldn't mind handling the dirt solely! ESPECIALLY not like this! the vegetables'n fruit trees ready for harvest?

*he asked with a small head tilt! tail wagging! might as well help her with her chores while at it! anything for her!*

"You just wrote a paragraph in moss and mud." Sheila said in complete shock, she went to sit down because her brain was like "woah,"

Sheila sat next to a raspberry bush and picked some off, eating some and tossing a couple Geno's way, hoping he'd try to catch them in his mouth like she used to do when Jane and N were little and she was a kid.

"No one really comes out to this part of the woods much, so I am sure we would be fine, but... I guess this is safer... and less cold."

[civilcodearticles]

ARTICLE 33. Marriages among Muslims or among members of the ethnic cultural communities may be performed validly without the necessity of marriage license, provided they are solemnized in accordance with their customs, rites or practices. (78a)

Republic vs. Tecaq

G.R. No. 229272

Nov 19, 2018

Facts:

The case involves the Republic of the Philippines (petitioner) and Gina P. Tecag (respondent).

Gina and Marjune B. Manaoat married on August 2, 2006, in La Trinidad, Benguet, after cohabiting for two years.

They initially worked in vegetable farming; Gina later found employment in Macau.

Gina attempted to secure job opportunities for Marjune, but he chose to invest in their farming instead.

Their communication decreased, and Gina discovered Marjune's infidelity.

Upon returning to the Philippines in 2009, Gina confronted Marjune, who insisted she stay abroad.

In 2010, Gina received a call from a woman claiming to live with Marjune and that they had a child together.

Gina alleged physical abuse from Marjune due to her inability to conceive.

On October 9, 2012, Gina filed a petition for the declaration of nullity of their marriage, citing Marjune's psychological incapacity.

The Regional Trial Court (RTC) granted the petition on January 20, 2014, declaring the marriage null and void ab initio.

The RTC found both parties psychologically incapacitated, supported by Professor Emma Astudillo-Sanchez's findings.

The Republic, through the Office of the Solicitor General, filed a motion for reconsideration, which was denied.

The Court of Appeals (CA) affirmed the RTC's decision on June 29, 2016, leading to a petition for review on certiorari by the Republic.

Issue:

Whether or not the decision of Court of Appels was proper.

Ruling:

The Supreme Court granted the petition, reversing the decisions of the Court of Appeals and the Regional Trial Court.

The Supreme Court emphasized the constitutional and statutory protection of marriage as a fundamental social institution.

Any doubts regarding the validity of marriage should favor its continuance.

The burden of proof for declaring a marriage null lies with the petitioner.

Psychological incapacity under Article 36 of the Family Code is a valid ground for nullity but must involve serious personality disorders that prevent fulfilling essential marital obligations.

Psychological incapacity must be characterized by gravity, juridical antecedence, and incurability.

[voidbears-oc-stash]

*Null has a minor panic attack!* Null: HOW!? HOW!? WHY! WHY NOW! WHY CAN'T THAT THING JUST DIE!? HOW MUCH MORE DO I NEED TO REPENT!? ALWAYS hunted by my OWN *BEEP*ING SHADOW!!!! *meanwhile Overdrive walks over to the pile of parts UVG'S crew gathered! a touches a head in the pile! a bit of his own flesh spreads to it! the eyes it its jawless head spring to TWISTED life! as more of Overdrive's infection starts leaking out from it! grabbing limbs and anchoring to a torso! the EVO mutant crawls out! as other heads follow suit!* Overdrive: stay behind! yer our fall back! ME and my new boys here're are going HUNTING! *the doors crack open on the crawler and Overdrive RUSHES out on all fours! going at speeds that'd make you SICK if ya saw! the EVO mutants follow suit! some running on two legs! some all fours! TEARING through the Void's "forests" after Dranon'n the others! *

Dranon goes as fast as he possibly can towards the farmer tribe's farms. He is quite quick!

[redstoneflux]

my headcanon thoughts on the new folks MODDED EDITION

Sunny (he/it/ze)

I'm sorry but to me ze looks like ze would unironically enjoy gregtech

The reason why large chunks of the world have no ore and dirt instead of stone is because he needs ore and sets up rftools builders everywhere

Likes to go fishing while waiting for its several fusion reactors and high end electric blast furnaces to process things

Floating scifi looking base mostly composed of sheetmetal, plastic and glass

Kai (he/she)

Resident thaumaturge and number one cause of flux and taint

Actively uses warping equipment but counteracts it by visiting Makena's base ever so often and brewing some Brews of Sane Thoughts

Hates pipes and jars, uses Thaumic Energistics to transport essentia.

Guess what she uses to power the aforementioned AE network. That's it, a heat generator powered by automated alumentum

Base is a floating mage tower in the End

Makena (she/ey)

Botanist and manaworker

Not amazing at redstone, compensates with Integrated Dynamics knowledge

Dabbles a bit in Astral Sorcery as well, but not much. Always has an Illumination wand on her

Uses a Void Miner for all her resources, powers it with a Mana Fluxfield

Base made up of floating islands with vibrant and colorful vegetation. Often sacrifices setup efficiency to make the whole thing look pretty

Zuri (they/them)

Just wants to farm and cook for Herobrine's sake

Favorite food is corned beef breakfast

The only magic/tech mod they're into is Roots and even then they just mostly use it to get crops and meat more easily

Lives in a small mud brick shack surrounded by several chunks of nicely squared farms

Efe (any pronouns)

Enjoys less well known mods like Embers, Wizardry and Arcane Archives a lot

Owns an absolutely huge smeltery where they process the massive amounts of ore they manually mine (tinker's construct hammer + pickaxe + dank/null/)

Builder of absolutely beautiful underground bases

Ari (she/her)

Just wants to kill bosses and stuff

Give her a tartaric gem and a sentient sword and she'll have it filled up in no time at all

Very proficient with bows, her favorite is a tinker's treated wood-restonia longbow with max speed that she crafted herself

Main base is in the Twilight Forest but she has a smaller one in the Betweenlands too

Noor (ze/ae)

Tech mod enjoyer but mostly a fan of the Thermal series and Immersive Engineering

Redstone genius

Dabbles in some Blood Magic as well

Base is an airship with a red wool balloon

[cabezadeperro]

@clonecumber​ hi!! sorry, it got long so i decided to make it a post.

disclaimer: i don’t like kal skirata, and i wrote my master's and bachelor's thesis on gothic lit, so that's kind of where my brain goes all the time and i know way too much to be normal about it.

while you could argue that the clones generally speaking are very easy to analyse and engage with from a gothic horror point of view (the double is one of THE classic gothic tropes, ffs), i think that in the case of the nulls things get more complicated and more interesting and more gothic, because you have to take into account kal skirata’s everything.

the gothic as a mode and a genre is incredilby hard to define: you have classic gothic, with its incestuous families and southern european castles and its depraved monks and its ghosts, and then there’s. idk. dracula and frankenstein and interview with the vampire and we have always lived in the castle and so on and so forth, but some of the more common themes are: family and the home as prison and safe place, alterity and what it means, the returning past, and boundaries and their permeability.

skirata’s main obsession is family. family is incredibly important for him: he wants a clan to call his own, and he wants his clan to be and live in very specific ways. a farm-fort on mandalore, every single member and their wives and children under its roof, etc.

his first wife left him because she was “too foreign” and therefore she refused to understand and submit to mandalorian tradition, and his children chose their mother over him. skirata then decides to adopt the nulls, and they replace the family he thinks failed him, because that’s how he sees it and the way we’re supposed to see it as well--even if kt halfheartedly attempts to show the other point of view in order to make him seem more complicated and tortured.

and then you have the nulls. strange little boys created in a lab using the best parts of a man kal skirata admires despite himself, jango fett; someone who’s considered to be the best at what they do (the best mando beroya and the former mand’alor, to boot). and they’re alone and vulnerable, so of course he swoops in and adopts them and proceeds to make sure they will never leave him. at first because they can’t: they need him, and he’s in a position of power over them; and then they just won’t, even if they’re all to some degree aware about the kind of man kal skirata is, and the way he sees them (it’s pretty incredible, how many times skirata says the nulls are psychotic and insane and uncontrollable).

like all clones, the nulls are the uncanny doppelgangers of a man who’s already dead, and like all clones, they embody this dead man’s revenge; they’re jango fett’s ghosts enacting his will. returning past, eat your heart out, etc.

and then there’s the family stuff. skirata sees the nulls as his sons; that means they’re his. the nulls see themselves the same way. i think that for them he’s both prison and safe place? they’re alive because of him and i think that he loves them, but his love is very conditional and they know it. them remaining a part of skirata’s family implies complying with his worldview; they can’t be too other, or they’ll lose him.

i could go on and on but this already got long enough sorry lmao. i hope it makes sense!!!!!

[occasionally-victor]

Assigning some Ferry's songs to Last Life characters

I just happened to listen a lot of Ferry while brainrotting LL and now you have to deal with it

Some of those more about just the vibe of the song, some have fitting lyrics, you know the drill

RAPID TRANSIT - This song can be pretty much about all red lifers (like, overall), but if i had to choose only one as the most fitting to this song, i would pick Joel. Not really much explanations here, it just works in my head.

Mr Fox And The Disheartened Girl - Oh, this one is Martyn for sure. To be more specific, i think this song kinda fits the whole Watcher lore thing (obviously with Watcher as mr Fox and Martyn as the girl (without, like, wanting to die part)). Plus, i really like "This game is tearing myself and my world from the//Inside" part in regards of him.

The Faulty Feline Philosophy - Definitely Scar, in fact, this song was literally my first thought after i watched his session 5 video. "For the first time I felt pure excitement//At the limitless prospect of the mad//Adventures to be had | The counter's set to number 9//I'm feeling so alive" - well uh change 9 to 6 (because thats how many lives Scar got at the start which is max amount of lives you could get at the start bla bla you already know that), this goes hard. "With my flesh all torn to shreds//I see the number tick to null//I guess there was a certain death//I failed to take into account" - this part goes both for his final death (obviously, "number tick to null") and at the same time for him turning red at the end of 5th session (at the start of that session he had 7 lives, so having only 1 at the end is really not that different from having none.)

The rest under the cut.

DEAD HAND - Oooh this one is 4th-7th session Grian&Mumbo, i listened to DH far too many times after 4th session (and then after 5th. and then after 6th. and then- im a sad man). The song sounds very "something goes wrong and everything is catastrophically crumbling down and ends badly" which is. Very the vibes i getting from them. "The grave is all too lonely without your sickly body by my side" - lord almighty; "What a shame, you may call it senseless//But I am now devoid of what I would call//"The hindrance of love"" - goes very well with Grian becoming red after The Ghast Farm Incident; "Greetings from the underworld" - i feel sick im so normal about the whole "We can still be friends" bit. "A vision of you fades away like a mirage//Oh, it's a beautiful catastrophe" - woo hoo Grian got a life and became yellow again , the boys are reunited- what is it, the 6th sesession, Mumbo is boogey, everything happens, Mumbo is red now, its barely the start of the session. YEP beautiful catastrophe. ""Oh, this is all wrong!"//But I don't mind at all//Turn up the volume//Execute the protocol//You know it's M.A.D//And it's all about to blow" - "We can still be friends" bit? That part where Mumbo basically blew up pretty big chunk of Southlands? Dare i say, that part of 7th session that ended up in Grian permakilling Jimmy and Mumbo? i feel sick ("M.A.D" is Mutually Assured Destruction, we do not look at what it is irl (because we already ignoring here the whole what is Dead Hand system, we just doing some "haha those funky lyrics fits blockman stuff"), we just taking the phrase and run with it okay?) "What an unfortunate way to end this show//I shed a tear as you vanish in the snow" - just end me already.

through me to you - This one feels like BigB&Cleo (more BigB, than Cleo, but you get me) post BigB murdering Cleo. This song has that bittersweet and nostalgic vibe, "reminds of the things i've lost and won't ever be able to get back, things i regret, things i wish i'd done differently" (quote from comments under the song, it explained my thoughts very well and i suck at explaining my thoughts myself)

I hate it! - This one is Tango (6th-8th session). It sounds like an anger you can't do anything about, some sort of frustration. There isnt really any lyrics to point out (ok, kinda lying, "And in the end just one sorry note sorry note escapes my throat" is kinda fun in relation to the sounds of rage that Tango made after being murdered by Bdubs), the song just fits him pretty well imo.

Hack Writer - OK. LET'S PREFACE IT WITH ONE THING - I COMPLETELY (98%) IGNORED THE LYRICS english is not my first language its easy for me. That's not what i usually do, i'm all for fitting lyrics, but my brain heard the music spinning and whirling (idk how to really explain it) and went - yeah, that does give off some red life Mumbo vibes. Here's instrumental for that song.

hardbass night - I can't really explain why, but this song gives off huge Pearl vibe. Trust me, I'm russian (/hj). Plus, it's fun to assign a song, that is basically some sort of trashy rave music to a person, who blew up someone in a dancing room.

dopamine_machine - This one is also red life Mumbo. "Oh, this one is completely different vibe from Hack Writer-" well that's because now i look at him in the context of Grian&Mumbo storyline ("You’re running lemonade at thirty-six degrees centigrade//Inside your lemon veins//And your heart’s a lemon grenade" lemon(ade) -> yellow -> well, who was yellow when Mumbo was red? Just end me-). "And feel the taste of lead//Again, my friend" - ok the definition of "lead" in the song is supposed to be "metal" one, but since "lead" also means some sort of winning position, we are taking it instead. Something something these lyrics (the whole outro tbh) fitting to Mumbo being permakilled by Grian something something yes, i heard "my friend" part and went absolutely bonkers.

Bonus:

Occam's razor - This one is Grian&Mumbo again. i talk about them a lot here. not my problem tho. Starting with the whole Verse 1 ("So, I see, I found myself pinned up against another//Impenetrable wall//No, it won't take long at all//Short talk and go, don't look so shocked, come on!//It's fine//And even though I think this could be our goodbye//There's defiance in your eyes//Ah, of course, it must be pitiful to see someone with a face like this//Even if that somebody is me...") and, fuck it, the Chorus after ("It's a dead-end endeavor, it's time you understood//That this whole situation won't bring you any good!//Oh, I know that your heart's beating faster than it should//But I can't let you in - wouldn't even if I could") - Ghast Farm incident-"We can still be friends" bit goes brrrrr. "But I can't let you in, even though I wish I could" from songs outro just hurts me here on emotional level.

message lost - This one is Etho&Bdubs. I can't even explain the feeling that this song gave me, and why is it so them. It's just fits.

[guess what, its 17.10.2022 and its a lil update time, because brainrot staying strong fellas]

Convergence - take a wild guess. Yeah it's Grian&Mumbo (im not really over them lmao) , specifically 5-7 session vibes. ill spare myself and just put some fitting lyrics lmao: "Too naive to run on the edge of the knife//This is the worst [BEST] mistake I [YOU] could make in [YOUR] my life//To spark a flame I was [YOU WERE] never meaning to light//I never wanted to [YOU'RE SMART ENOUGH TO NOT] ignite//A losing fight//[RIGHT?]" || "So now that we are caught in a candid shot//And I know it’s all my fault//My blood’s running cold, yet//The air is getting hot//Every single word hits another nasty spot" || "As I've anticipated//Looks like your sense of decency has long degraded//But don’t forget with whom you are associated//Which sounds unfair, but fair play is overrated" || "It’s not about the strength, it’s about where you strike//You see, by now I’ve got no more dust left to bite//I’ve weaponized my helpless spite//Now how about that pride of yours?"

Ferry Medley // 22 Song Vocaloid Medley (by tart) - i just like that medley :]

[clonecumber]

B-but they don't HAVE to kill the roba? They can just keep them as pets and have a plant farm. Please don't make Ordo see his baby roba die. 🥺

First of all, thank you for sending this ask <3

Second of all, anything can happen that you want, honestly! It's Fantasy Space Land, and if you don't want the roba to die, they don't have to die. Simple as that. Ordo can be #1 Roba Dad in our hearts and strike fear into the country side with his Fierce Roba Ad Army. I would personally love for Ordo to get to have a pet he loves and have nothing bad happen to them, ever, you know? I’m less sure if I really think of Ordo as a pet person, but I’m all for letting Ordo have good things. I would absolutely pick that scenario if that’s what I needed from my fiction at the moment, and if that’s what you want to see in yours, by all means. Go wild!

Personally, though (and just personally), I prefer this scenario in the way I understand it best, which is that Ordo is going to have to make peace with the necessity of it, and I really like the idea of a narrative that has him having to get there. I appreciate it best when I think that he’s someone people wouldn’t expect to have these problems, but that he might get attached despite himself, that it might take him under the ribs anyway, and how he and everyone else has to deal with that. And killing an animal you’ve taken care of all its life is a hard thing when you haven’t been raised to it! That’s true for people in general, and the clones have all been bred and trained for the ability to attach, too, and humans have never been limited to other human-shaped creatures in that regard. I just like when a plot-point continues to apply even in situations where it’s inconvenient, you know? (So the Nulls especially being prone to getting overly attached to the stock animals is something you will need to pry out of my cold dead hands.) I appreciate the idea that the people around him will be gentle with him while he adapts, even if he’s maybe not gentle with himself, and definitely if he’s not expecting gentleness, and I appreciate that Ordo probably wouldn’t ever lose his own gentle compassion for his animals, even as he learns how to care for them and then let them go. I want to see him learn where that balance is. His family needs to eat, and that matters to Ordo in particular quite a bit, I think. He’s a caretaker. It’s what he does. He’s not going to ever enjoy or look forward to killing his animals, but I can see him learning to treat it with an air of respect, compassion, and gratefulness, and that matters to me.

(He can have three space pigs, though. As a treat. Fi dubs them the Squad. Ordo doesn’t realize that includes him.)

[bots-basket]

Safety in Numbers #5

{ Tw: Fighting/Violence also this is another long chapter ^^💦 }

Lance watched in Awe as the giant feline stood in between the girl and the Out of control Wolf. How... how did he summon that? It wasn’t like any Negati or Personal creature he’s ever created or unleashed.. Everything about it stood out. And Not to mention that Orb in its chest.. the same kind of orb that was laying next to the child giving off similar softer glows.

Yet it was undeniable from him- as He felt a steady stream of his power leaving him to somehow Power that Beast.. He had underestimated the visitor and the mysterious power she actually held. Even so- He’d have to get her out of harms way without getting caught in the crossfire of the two Titans.

Bass’s Tail gently flicked from side to side as he watched Barktholomew’s Movements carefully- staying on guard for when the wolf-hound decided to make its first move. Usually Bass wouldn’t be bothered with wasting his time fighting random blokes who just so happen to cross his path.. But This Mangey Mutt attempted to harm HIS Master. And for that, He shall surely pay dearly for his actions.

It Didn’t take long for the awaited moment to come as the Wolf gave its final warning howl before it charged the feline at full speed and tried to trounce him into the ground. Bass gave a large snarl and unsheathed his claws as he jumped into the attempted tackle.

He was quick to wrap his arms around the hounds shoulders and Twisted his Body Midair- using the force to Flip his opponent over and Send him into the ground instead. Bass Landed on his Paws and gave a Hiss to the downed dog, warning him to back down as his tail lashed from side to side.

Barktholomew was down but definitely not out. In an instance the Wolf sent up rounded pillars from out of the platform that knocked into the feline and sent him off balance for a moment. But it didn’t take him long to gather his bearings and use the platforms to his Advantage aswell. Like creating a climbing mechanism would put a damper on a Panther’s Attacks. Yeah right.

With Ease Bass clawed his way to the top of a pillar and chased after the hound, who was currently trying to launch him with the pillars into the null void around the floating platform. Barktholomew was pretty powerful, Bass would give him that. But he wasn’t very good with planning ahead. Not to mention he’s totally at a disadvantage against him~ Funny how the tables have turned between dog and cat.

While The two Were distracted, Lance took the opportunity to get closer to Rosie. He landed beside her and checked her over for any injuries or trauma. Thankfully she had only passed out, which made sense considering everything that’s happening- not to mention she’s probably been running for a while.

He placed all the little orbs back into her pockets before gently slipping his Hands under her and lifted her up into his arms. It was probably best if he just carried her like this and keep his tentacles free, just incase he needed to defend themselves. Speaking of which- He felt a sudden Strong gust of wind whirl around the area, nearly knocking himself into a whirlwind. He sunk his tentacles into the platform and did his best to shield her from the strong winds as he glanced back over to the two fighting.

Barktholomew had Lost its patience with Bass when The feline managed to land yet another blow, this time slashing his claws on its Face. Now the Wolf was mad. And it was going to make this Annoying Cat disappear just like how it’s Farm did. Channeling its Power into one large attack, it created a Tornado so big it covered the entire platform.

Bass had to literally dig his claws into the ground to keep from flying away! And since he couldn’t move, Barktholomew took advantage of it and began to throw mini tornadoes at him, the force of each hitting him feeling like a punch. And the worse part is that he had no choice but to take the hits since he had no way of attacking back.

Lance couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. He May Not know how or why this creature was created with his Power, but he did know that both it and The Little visitor was now his responsibility. And Since He unleashed Barktholomew in the first place, he’ll assist this ‘Galaxy Negati’ in defeating this powered up version.

He gingerly shifted the girl into one arm and used the other now freed arm to focuse on creating an Energy Ball. It didn’t come out a big as he wanted it too, but it would still get the job done neither the less. He pulled back his arm and focused on a particular Area on Barktholomew and Fired the Blast. Despite the raging winds- Lance’s Shot stayed true to its Target as it Hit Barktholomew- Sending him to clutch its side and cringe at the pain.

!

Bass’s Optics widened as he saw the Wolf take the blow then clutch his side. He immediately turned his helm to Lance and Rosie, His Ears and Tail flapping rapidly in the wind as he seemed surprised to see the Negati Master Actually stepping in to assist him. As If on Cue Lance shouted out something to him- Which Caused Bass to immediately catch on to what he was planning.

“ That’s his Weak Point!”

Bass didn’t hesitate to make his move. With a Glint in his Optics, He unsheathed his Back claws and let his Body get lifted into the wind halfway. His tail then did something unusual. It began to separate into section and a purplish liquid flowed from the Mindcore in his chest- all the way down into his tail. And then, He Let go of the ground; Letting himself get sucked into the Tornado- Much to both Lance and Barktholomew’s surprise.

But before the winds could send Lance And Rosie After him, The Feline Appeared once more- Emerging from a Portal that looked similar to that of Lance’s Bout Portal, And took his Opponent once more by surprise. With One Good Slash he Send the Wolf Propelling into the ground, Knocking him out cold.

As soon As Barktholomew was down, the Winds died down aswell. Bass Huffed slightly as he stood before the Wolf who was now unconscious on the floor. His Ears perked up as he heard Lance let out a sigh of relief as he removed his tentacles from the platform floor.

The Feline turned to the Negati Master and gingerly crept over to him, an obvious sign he was still a little unsure about him. Lance watched Bass head over to him as his piercing eyes watched him carefully. He might’ve listened to him in the battle, but this cat was still very unpredictable.

Bass’s Tail Flicked slightly as his Eyes landed on The unconscious girl in Lances arms, and then to the Negati master himself. They stood there looking at eachother for a few moments before Bass simply just leaned over and Picked up Rosie by her hoodie, and straight outta Lances arms.

Lance was once again taken aback by this felines bold actions as Bass was basically just holding The visitor like how a cat would hold a Kitten. But before Lance could say anything about it- Yet another Bang was heard. This time more closeby than before. A small puff of pinkish smoke had appeared around Barktholomew, and it gave out a long and Loud howl as the area around it began to change. The sky darkened into an pinkish purple and the platform they were on was steadily getting smaller..

Bass didn’t waste anytime. Now that he had his master safe and sound close to him, he wasn’t going to risk another tussle. He made a break for it and dashed towards the edge of the platform. A portal similar to the one he used before appeared at the edge of the platform.. but something was wrong. He felt suddenly felt very tired.. and then he couldn’t feel anything at all. Glancing down he saw that the energy that was keeping him together was rapidly disappearing.

Panicking about his masters Safety, he instinctively threw her into the portal with whatever part of him was still left- before it completely disappeared, leaving only his Simple Mindcore on the floor to be left to fate. Thankfully, Fate would be a lot kinder to him As Lance scooped up the Mindcore.

This Place has become more unstable than Lance would like to admit. And as much as he wanted to find out about that BANG, he didn’t have the energy.. he could barely float. This troublesome little orb had leeched quite a lot of power from him, and he wanted some answers. Not to mention he had to make sure that the visitor is okay.

So before things could get much worse, he followed after her through the portal.

——-

Once the Negati Master had Left, The Area, and Barktholomew themselves had changed. Everything looked like a warped version of what once was. The fields was withered and purple.. everything looked dead and destroyed.. it looked as if the once beautiful area had turned into a barren wasteland. And standing before it all was the same Man from before. He had a amused look on his face as he held a withered flower in his Hand.

“ Quite the interesting garden you have here.”

He hummed as he turned to the one standing beside him. It looked like a warped mixture between a few of the supposed ‘residents’ of this area and Barktholomew himself, except he wore a Scratched Wolf Mask over his face...

“ Come, we have new friends to make.”

The man spoke to the masked beast, who obediently followed after him and his group of suspicious characters.

———

Rosie was laying beneath a tree as a bunch of brightly colored Tim’s surrounded her, cooing and chirping worriedly as she didn’t make any attempts of waking up. They seemed to calm down a little bit as a Larger figure loomed over her and simply scooped her up into his arms.

Balan looked down to the girl as she slightly stirred, trembled under his touch. His big golden eyes looked down To her softly as he whispered to himself with concern.

“ Oh little one.. what happened to you..?”

[irrfahrer]

Wookiepedia on Healing Plants

Read the Original Texts Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here , Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here, Here , Here, Here, Here, Here , Here, Here, Here, Here and Here!

Senoti The senoti was a species of tree native to the Outer Rim world New Canistel. The deep-rooted trees required an alkaline soil in which to grow, and produced a sap that was used for medicinal purposes. The trees were also found off New Canistel, with a small number growing wild on Endor. These were believed by Xenoarborists to be survivors from two Canistel AgriStar freighters that were lost in the Moddell sector. Endor's native Ewoks regarded the tree as holy due to its healing properties, and in 3 ABY, the Warrick family of Ewoks used senoti sap in a medicine administered to the shipwrecked youngling, Cindel Towani. Several senoti trees also grew in the Xenobotanical Garden of Garqi; however, these were burnt down during the first year of the Yuuzhan Vong War. The senoti was a species of tree.Mature senoti had brown, rough, gnarled bark, and could reach a girth several times that of an Ewok.The trees grew deep roots and required alkaline soil in order to thrive. Senoti seeds planted in acidic soil only grew into scrubby plants, if they survived at all. The senoti produced a watery sap, which had analgesic properties and could quell fevers. Kelari Lily The Kelari Lily was a rare Flower that could be used to treat battlefield injuries.Lorren Morrick sent a rebel patrol out to find Kelari Lilies because her medical supplies were running short.

Nysillin Nysillin, also known as sillum, or nysillim, was a healing herb grown as a common crop plant across the galaxy. On the planet Felucia, it was harvested by Casiss's farming village during the Clone Wars. Hondo Ohnaka's gang of pirates threatened the village into giving away a portion of the herbs, a portion they could not afford to give up, so Casiss hired a group of bounty hunters to fight them. They were soon joined by the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano, who trained the Felucians to fight for themselves, prompting Ohnaka to give up.

Ice Mushrooms Ice mushrooms were found on various planets throughout the galaxy, including Neshtab. It appeared to have healing or analgesic properties, at least in Humans.  Greybush The Greybush was a ground hugging bush native to the planet Dathomir. The Singing Mountain Clan used leaves of this herbal plant for their healing properties while the Nightsisters used them to cause harm. Redweed Redweed was a fern with a distinctive red coloration native to the planet Dathomir. The Singing Mountain Clan used leaves of this herbal plant for their healing properties while the Nightsisters used them to cause harm.

Lesset Plant Lesset plant was a broad-leafed red-veined plant native to the planet Dathomir. The Singing Mountain Clan used leaves of this herbal plant for their healing properties while the Nightsisters used them to cause harm. It could often be found in the dense forests at the bottom of many valleys.

Ongmuel Plant The Ongmuel plant was a herbal plant with leaves that resembled dangling spiders native to the planet Dathomir. The Singing Mountain Clan used leaves of the Ongmuel plant for their healing properties while the Nightsisters used them to cause harm.

Rinor Rinor was a herbal plant with blade-like leaves native to the planet Dathomir. The Singing Mountain Clan used Rinor leaves for their healing properties while the Nightsisters used them to cause harm.

Barenth Healing Plant The Barenth healing plant was a endangered, natural, healing plant from Barenth. When a Ho'Din healer named Baji came to Barenth, he encountered them in an ancient laboratory. He observed them and tried to stay to continue observation and to eventually use them for healing purposes. Unfortunately, an earthquake struck and Baji was forced to leave. He grabbed some of them and left. Later, he came back only to find the sanctuary crushed. The plants were not destroyed, but badly contaminated. Baji had made a tough decision; he decided that for all his life, he would stay and help the remaining plants.

Savarium Herb The savorium herb was a kind of plant made by the Ithorian botanist Zorneth and another botanist, a Human named Klorr Vilia. When eaten, it would replace one's mind with nothing but peace and joy, and would give the consumer a new sense of submission and lack of inhibitions. Those under the influence of the herb were often referred to as Smilers due to the perpetual grins on their faces. It is said to be given the term "slave drug" considering slavers, pirates and other criminal personnel would have favored its mind-altering abilities.After Klorr had tried it, Zorneth wanted to mass-produce it so everyone would be happy. However, Vilia sacrificed himself to destroy all of the savorium herbs.There were rumors of savorium herb still existing, involving secret harvesting plantations in the galaxy, but it was unproved.

Viptiel Viptiel was a plant native to Nal Hutta. It was known for its therapeutic properties to the X'Ting for its hormone-balancing effects during that species' transition from one gender to the other; however, very few could afford it. Vippits also used viptiel as a medicinal supplement, especially during their mating periods. Twin-Scented Natterbloom The Twin-Scented Natterbloom was a rare medicinal herb native to the planet Talus. The plant exuded a pungent smell in its early growth, which changed during blooming season when the herb gave off a sweet citrus scent.The Drall hoped that the Natterbloom may prove to be a cure of an ancient Drall disease, the Balding Sickness. Some victims resisted bacta treatment, forcing the Drall to search for alternate solutions. With the help of the local Dearic Garden Club and a helpful spacer, the Drall ambassador to Talus Champhra Biahin was able to procure a sample of the Twin-Scented Natterbloom for further research.

Luna Weed Luna-weed was a plant native to Aduba-3. If chewed, it could produce delusional effects in the user. It gave rise to the phrase "chewing the luna-weed" when referring to someone who was acting crazy.

Guroot Guroot was a type of plant that could be grinded into powder and consumed. Many beings believed that consuming powdered guroot was good for one's health. Pommwomm Pommwomm plants were a hot-world shrub native to the Sif'kric system's inner planet. If they were properly processed within thirty hours of picking, they could be made into at least eight different medicinal substances, and at least sixteen different natural flavorings. Export of pommwomm plants made up about 20% of the Sif'kric economy.

Grey Gabaki A plant named for its drab color when dried, Grey Gabaki gives off a light and relaxing smoke when burned. It is commonly used in cantinas, but some merchants also burn it to make store fronts a more relaxing environment for customers.

Star Urchin Quill "Star urchin quills" was the name given by Ewok shamans to the venomous quills of the fftssfft, a species of semi-sapient plants also known as the "dandelion warriors." Despite their potentially lethal nature, those star-shaped quills could be used in traditional Ewok medicine.

Santherian TenHo Root Santherian tenho-root was a plant whose extract was also a potent drug. It was often used by abusers who desired a sense of escapism. When taking the drug, users often described it's effects as similar to that of watching a sunset.The extract was immensely effective on Falleen, who would experience intense psychotropic attacks after taking it.

Algarine Torve Weed Algarine torve weed was a kind of plant native to the Algaran system and could be used as a synthetic mood enhancer.

Relkass The Relkass sentinel plant was one of many cacti native to the planet of Relkass.The sentinel plant only bloomed during the planet's dry season. It also contained a chemical compound, which acted as a powerful narcotic. Even small amounts of the compound could drive a Draagax into a horrible madness.

Behot Behot was a species of herb that grew on the planet Mandalore. The herb was citrus-flavored and grew rapidly, making it the favored choice of ingredients for the Mandalorian beverage shig, a tisane brewed from a number of herbs. Behot was mildly antiseptic and stimulating, and capable of soothing an upset stomach. Shig brewed from behot possessed an amber color and the herb's citrus flavor. In 20 BBY, the Null-class ARC trooper Mereel used behot herbs in the shig he brewed for a pregnant Etain Tur-Mukan in order to help settle her stomach.bMereel's adopted father, Kal Skirata, also enjoyed a mug of behot-flavored shig when looking to calm his nerves. By the end of the Clone Wars, members of the anti-Imperial resistance on Toprawa had taken to growing behot locally on the Outer Rim world, using it to make their own shig. Resistance leader Degan Cor developed a fondness for shig brewed from behot, as did several of his rebel colleagues.

Kibo The Kibo was a rare, purple flowering plant native to Yavin 4. Its scent was strong and sweet and the seeds of the Kibo could restore sight.When Trioculus attacked Yavin 4 in 5 ABY, the fires he started brought the Kibo to the brink of extinction. Many years later, Galactic Alliance Chief of State Cal Omas kept a Kibo blossom in bronzium vase on his desk.

Bota Bota was a rare plant species native to very few planets in the galaxy such as Drongar. It was highly valued during the Clone Wars, as it had certain medicinal effects for each species and supposedly gave Jedi a stronger connection to the Force. It would become useless some time after it left the planet unless it was frozen in carbonite. 

[voidbears-oc-stash]

Null: and he DIDN'T off ya'll a tune up? that thing's held together by ear wax'n scotch tape! metaphorically speaking! boy must've been half sleep deprived- i keep telling him to get his sleep! but no one listens to me! *he says! in a exacerbated tone!* ugh! you two mind coming to my lab? I could give that body of yours some repairs'n some upgrades! make it more! MEANT to be driven! and hey! consider it a thanks for yer hard work, keeping the void outta- uh-... places it shouldn't be? and its a lemon- sour taste's meant to keep animals from eating it! but ironically! humans love the things! least enough that several companions'n farms grow'em! ironically most coredroids seem to love citric'n food grade acids! me'n all my bros enjoy our sour candies-! what can I say!

"Interesting." Firefly says, taking a small bite. "Intriguing taste."

Stinger gets the droid husk towards Null "I'll follow!"

[nitewrighter]

Some OW Fankids domestic fic? Just the gang hanging around and stuff at the watchpoint? Like the halloween fic with the fankids you did before!! :DDD

I never did any fics surrounding Jaime joining the watchpoint. I should fix that.

Oof this one ended up long. 

In Loco Parentis

------

The mid-morning sunlight streamed through the slats of the watchpoint boardroom.

“We’re not a homeless shelter,” Jack’s arms were folded, “Or an orphanage.”

“You know the situation is more complicated than that,” said McCree, “If he’s fleeing Vishkar---”

“There are thousands of people displaced by Talon, Null Sector, and the Siberian Omnium,” said Jack, “We barely have the resources to sustain ourselves. If we start taking on civilians...”

“Even at the peak of Overwatch’s power, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do about 30 million crisis orphans,” said Sombra.

“But with Marti--” McCree looked over at Sombra, who had several screens open around her head.

“I’m Marti’s legal guardian,” said Sombra, scrolling through one of her screens with a flick of her wrist, “It’s different.”

“So what, we just throw him out?” said McCree.

“Not ‘throw him out,’” said Winston. He cleared his throat and set several pamphlets on the table in front of McCree, “His associating with us also potentially makes him even more of a target for Talon. While I do believe Overwatch is meant to help everyone, we have to be able to delegate what that help looks like.”

McCree picked up one of the pamphlets and his mouth thinned. There was a picture of a handful of kids of varying backgrounds in front of an idyllic suburban house. “...Foster care,” said McCree, “You’re talking about foster care.”

“I can cover his tracks,” said Sombra, “Keep Vishkar from scooping him back up.”

McCree opened up the pamphlet and his eyes glazed over it. Clean. Homey. Normal. He deserved normal. All kids deserved normal.

He’ll be clawing at that pretty flowery wallpaper within two weeks, run off again within a month, thought McCree, He’s too angry. Too scared. Too hungry. He’s seen too much to think he can--No. Shut up. Shut up. You’re projecting. You’re projecting. You’re projecting.

“It’s best if you talk to him,” said Winston, “From his perspective, you’re the closest thing he has to ‘In Loco Parentis.’”

“In local what now?”

“It’s a legal term meaning--” Winston caught himself, “Er--”

“‘In place of a parent,’” said Sombra, she gave McCree a slightly pitying look, “McCree, we all know your story. We know what you’re thinking.”

“What? What am I thinking? That it’s wrong to give him back into a system that just tossed him into Vishkar’s jaws before?” McCree folded his arms. “I’m just saying, even if we put him in completely anonymously, you know Talon and Vishkar comb through the poorest and most desperate for...their ranks.”

“We have to demonstrate some cooperation with the proper channels,” said Winston.

“Look, we get your concerns but try to see it from our perspective. He’s only a few years younger than you were when Reyes picked you up,” said Sombra, folding her arms, “This is personal for you, we get it---”

“You think I’m emotionally compromised,” said McCree with a scoff.

“Yes,” said Sombra, flatly, “But, it’s because of that compromise that we also trust you to do what’s best for him.” Sombra insistently tapped a finger on the end of the pamphlet McCree was holding for emphasis as she said ‘do what’s best.’

McCree looked down at the pamphlet.

“He’s at a stage you were at once, and I get wanting to help him through that,” Sombra went on, “But we’re fighting against a global corporate-backed terrorist collective and a robot invasion. The best thing we can do for him is get him as far away from it as we can.”

McCree looked at a photo of several children around a table with plates of pancakes as a human and omnic pair of foster parents proudly beamed at the camera. Normal. He deserved normal.

“I’ll... I’ll talk to the kid,” said McCree, itching at the brim of his hat, “I guess... all that matters is getting a roof over his head, right?”

He looked at Jack and found no sympathy in that visor. All that matters is stopping Talon, he could almost hear Jack’s voice.

“Of course,” said Winston, “We have complete faith in you.”

“I mean, unless he’s already stolen everything he could and dipped already,” said Sombra with a slight chuckle.

McCree shot her a dirty look.

“Crisis Orphan mentality,” said Sombra with a shrug, “It’s what I would have done in his place.”

“We ain’t treatin’ him like a criminal!” said McCree.

“He’s literally here because he stole Rei’s backpack,” said Jack, flatly.

“Hanzo’s been keeping an eye on him,” said McCree, “Last I checked he was still asleep. It’ll be fine.”

----

“You lost him!?” McCree was pacing back and forth in front of Hanzo as they stood in an empty watchpoint dormitory, “How do you lose a whole-ass 14-year-old?!”

“I wasn’t going to have him wake up with me staring at him, I thought it prudent to fix something for him to eat for a late breakfast!” said Hanzo. He was holding a now-cold plate of a neatly folded omelette flecked with chives.

“...of all the times for you to switch gears from ninja to Uncle Hanzo...” McCree huffed but Hanzo just furrowed his brows at him. “Sorry--” McCree caught himself, “Sorry. We gotta go find him. Athena?” McCree called and looked around the dorm room. There was no response.

“Did he disable Athena in here?” said Hanzo, shocked.

“If he could run away from a Vishkar orphanage...” McCree pulled out his comm, “Athena, you there? I need Watchpoint surveillance feeds on my comm.”

“If we don’t want him to feel like a criminal, perhaps activating all Watchpoint security isn’t the best way to go about this,” said Hanzo, “We’ll look around for him first. Give him time to come back.”

“In that time he could hop another freighter or--or get hurt! He’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, right?” said McCree.

“Of course he’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, we aren’t savages!” Hanzo retorted, “Every moment we spend arguing is a moment we should be spending making sure he’s all right. Come,” said Hanzo, already briskly walking out

“You gotta be kidding me,” muttered McCree, following behind him.

----

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jaime was hunched over a pried-open panel to see nothing but empty black space. The scent of his own new clothes threw him off, distracted him. The fact that he couldn’t really smell himself anymore was definitely an improvement, but he was wondering how much the stress of getting out of here would undo that. He rooted around in the space, trying to feel for wires, but then huffed.

“The whole watchpoint’s been cannibalized several times over. Any copper or palladium in the walls here has probably been stripped for Mei’s or Athena’s servers,” a voice that seemed to be trying to jam too many syllables in at once while hitting its consonants a little too hard spoke up from behind Jaime, and Jaime glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar girl with thick eyebrows and wild dark hair tied half-back in a yellow ribbon. “There’s no way you can try to get them without getting caught, though,” she added.

“...Psycho,” said Jaime.

“Thief,” said Rei.

“I already said sorry about your stupid backpack,” said Jaime, pushing himself up from his knees and dusting himself off, already walking away.

“And you’re already trying to steal again!” said Rei, huffily pacing after him.

“You know most people don’t steal because they have anything against whoever they’re stealing from, right?” said Jaime, “It’s not about you, or your watch...thing.”

“Watchpoint,” said Rei.

“It’s about survival,” said Jaime.

“So ask!” said Rei, “They’re Overwatch! You think we don’t care about people’s survival?!”

“I really don’t care about your weird army cult thing,” said Jaime, continuing to walk.

“Cult?!” Rei blustered.

“Yeah. Big compound, lots of guns...weird kids who were born here and don’t question the giant weird compound or the guns---”

“Overwatch is trying to save the world from Talon and Null Sector! Trying to save the world isn’t a cult!” said Rei.

Jaime just gave her a semi-pitying look that made her blood boil.

“Well fine! If you want to go back to being a scuzzy little thief, be my guest!” she said, throwing her hands up.

“That’s the plan,” said Jaime, continuing to walk away, “Not like I’m dumb enough to wait for them to hand me off to the police or another orphanage.”

“Fine!” Rei said again, folding her arms, before suddenly catching herself, “Wait---”

Jaime stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

“If you need things before you go, we can give them to you. No stealing,” said Rei, “I mean, obviously you can’t strip Athena or any of the tech, but... clothes and soap and food...” she trailed off.

Jaime’s stomach audibly growled at the word ‘food.’

“...Have you eaten yet today?” said Rei, suddenly alarmed.

“What are you, my mom?” said Jaime with a scoff before his stomach growled again.

“Come with me,” said Rei, briskly stepping up alongside him. She looked to his wrist, fully healed from the sprain thanks to biotics, and took his elbow, “Come on.”

“Is this the cult love-bombing?” said Jaime, being half-dragged behind her, “I’m not going if it’s the cult love-bombing.”

“Oh my god, it’s not love-bombing, I’m just taking you to the garden so you can grab some fruit,” said Rei continuing to drag him along, “It’s closer than the mess hall. You’re less likely to run into the adults there.”

“You have guns, a compound, and a little mini-farm, and you want me to believe you’re not a cult,” said Jaime, flatly. They rounded a corner and walked a narrow path between the hangar and the seaside cliffs.

“I don’t have guns. And Bastion actually does most of the gardening,” said Rei, as they walked.

“Who?” said Jaime, but he blinked several times as the ground opened up  to a wide grassy area bordered by Gibraltar’s rocks and the hangar. There was a line of orange trees up against the hangar, and a significant section of the grass had been carved out to form a small victory garden growing tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, carrots, and corn. Opposite the orange trees were several thrumming beehive boxes, and at the far end of the garden was an apparently well-loved old greenhouse that had gone through several patch-ups over the years, and a knobby little olive tree twisting up next to it, canvas laid out at its roots.

“Thwuh-wheet?” an inquisitive beep came from behind them and both Rei and Jaime quickly turned on their heels to see Bastion looming over them, . Jaime’s breath caught in his throat and he stumbled back. Bastion tilted its boxy head at him.

“...that’s a Bastion unit,” said Jaime, his voice tense in his throat as he took several steps back.

“Bastion doesn’t like to fight,” said Rei, as several birds fluttered around Bastion’s head. Bastion gestured at Jaime with its hand.

“Oh um--he’s.... from school!” said Rei, “He’s just visiting.”

“Right,” Jaime repeated hesitantly, “From... the school.” But then Jaime jumped about a foot in the air as a bright blue teleporter opened at the end of the line of orange trees. Rei stepped in front of Jaime, half-expecting an adult to step out of it, but instead it was only Samir, looking more rumpled than usual in a baggy tank top, basketball shorts, and sandals. The only thing that kept Jaime from breaking out into a dead sprint out of that garden at the slightest sight of hard-light was both Rei and Bastion’s complete non-reaction to the appearance of a teleporter. Samir didn’t seem really aware of them as he materialized a large basket and a hard-light telescoping fruit picker.

“I thought you said Overwatch was against Vishkar!” Jaime hissed from behind Rei as Samir hummed and picked oranges.

“We are,” said Rei, “Samir’s mom--I mean, one of Samir’s moms---well, long story short, you’re not the first person to leave Vishkar.”

Jaime blinked several times, “I’m... I’m not?”

“Rei?” Samir’s head turned toward her as an orange thudded to the ground at his feet, “Who are you talking to?”

Jaime leaned out slightly from behind Bastion and Samir squinted a little.

“Uh...Hi. Jaime. I’m Jaime, from... from school. The school. That I go to. With her,” said Jaime.

“Rei,” Rei said quietly under her breath.

“The school with Rei,” said Jaime, nodding.

Samir gave them both a skeptical look before resuming picking oranges, “You’re hiding,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What? No!” Rei and Jaime’s voices were overlapping each other as they stumbled over several half-thought out excuses.

Samir gave them an impatient ‘Don’t assume I’m dumb’ look and Rei’s shoulders slumped. “Look, it’s complicated,” said Rei, “Okay?”

“Is he a secret boyfriend? You aren’t cheating on Jaz, are you?” said Samir, squinting at her.

“Oh gross! Barf! Like I would cheat on Jaz with Backpack Thief McPubertystache over here!” Rei blurted out, but then she caught herself and looked at Jaime, “I mean.... uh... no.”

“...real flattering,” said Jaime.

“Wait--You stole Rei’s backpack?!” Samir’s face lit up.

“Uh...” Jaime itched at the back of his neck.

“So you outran a ninja and Marti?” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me!” said Rei, indignantly.

“I out parkour’d her,” said Jaime, folding his arms smugly.

“Did not! You caught me on an off-day!” said Rei.

“I out parkour’d her,” Jaime whisper-spoke to Samir and Samir snorted slightly.

“So... you’re still here?” said Samir tilting his head, “I thought Overwatch would have just sent you to your parents or....”

Jaime glanced off and his lips thinned.

“...Oh,” said Samir and he looked to Rei, “Did they say what they were going to do with him or...?”

“I can take care of myself,” said Jaime, firmly, “Rei’s just helping me grab some stuff before I go.”

“...oh,” said Samir, his shoulders slumping slightly, “So you’re going.”

“I’m a wanderer,” said Jaime, putting his hands on his hips, “Erromes.”

“Erro...what?” Samir started.

“A pilgrim,” said Jaime.

“...you’re fourteen,” said Rei, flatly.

“Better than being in a cult,” said Jaime with a shrug.

“We’re not in a---!” Rei huffed before looking at Samir, “We’re just grabbing some food, that’s it.”

Samir shrugged, “Fine by me,” he pulled an orange from his basket and materialized a hard light knife, cutting the orange into neat sections. He held the cut orange out to Jaime. Jaime gave a wary glance to Rei before stepping over to Samir and taking the cut orange.

“Rei said you escaped Vishkar?” said Samir.

“...yeah,” said Jaime, trying to eat the orange slices as casually as possible despite how hungry he was.

“What was it like?” said Samir.

Jaime just paled slightly and Samir caught himself, “Sorry just... Mom hates them too, but she’s never talks about it, you know?”

“They always try and leave us out of that kind of stuff,” muttered Rei, interlacing her fingers behind her head.

“What’s the cowboy’s deal?” said Jaime, in-between bites of orange.

“Uncle Jesse?” said Rei,

“Like... why is he a cowboy?” said Jaime.

“Why are you a pilgrim if you keep freaking out and calling us a cult?” said Rei, arching an eyebrow.

“Pilgrims understand there are no easy answers,” said Jaime, airily.

“The way we live isn’t an easy answer,” said Rei with a scoff, “I’m scared of my parents dying, or my uncles dying, or anyone else on this Watchpoint dying. Like, all the time. And I’m scared of losing my home. All the time.”

“...oh,” said Jaime.

“You thought this was easy?” said Rei.

“...you go to school, and you have lunches and...” Jaime trailed off. Rei was glancing off, too.

An awkward pause passed between the three of them. Bastion at this point seemed to occupy itself with weeding the garden.

“No one knows why McCree’s a cowboy,” said Samir, at last, “That’s just how he is.” Another long pause passed and Samir cleared his throat. “You know, you’re probably going to want food with a longer shelf-life so..”

“Mess hall!” Rei blurted out.

“Right,” said Samir, spinning another teleporter into existence.

Jaime visibly tensed at the sight of another teleporter and Samir quickly waved it off into sparkling oblivion with a flick of his wrist. “Or we could walk! Walking is good!”

“‘We?’” said Rei.

“Well it’s not like we get a lot of visitors,” said Samir, hefting up his basket of oranges and stepping up next to them. Samir and Rei gave a wave to Bastion, who only briefly glanced up from a butterfly resting on a tomato flower to wave back at them as they left the garden.

“...so you live on the Watchpoint too?” said Jaime, walking with Rei and Samir. The three of them walked another cliffside path to a road that needed some re-paving ribboning through the watchpoint. Jaime was periodically grabbing oranges out of Samir’s basket, peeling and eating them as they walked.

“There’s just four of us,” said Samir, “There’s Rei, Marti, me, and my brother, Rajeev. We actually all go to the same school, but Rajeev and I are in lower grades.”

“Ah...” said Jaime, now feeling a little foolish for trying to keep up the ‘I’m Rei’s classmate’ lie, “...and your parents just... teach you being about being a ninja or using hard-light?”

“It took forever to convince Dad and Uncle to let me start training,” said Rei with a huff,  “Dad was okay with me learning Kendo, but he and Mom were so weird about me learning any actual ninja stuff. But I was climbing everything on the Watchpoint anyway so Uncle started teaching me stuff ‘so I wouldn’t hurt myself.’”

“For me, my Mom just uses hard-light for everything,” said Samir with a shrug, “It’s just kind of how we do everything. Cooking, cleaning, exercise---”

“Basketball,” said Rei as the road opened up to the watchpoint tarmac.

“That falls under exer--oh,” Samir was cut off by the pang pang pang of a basketball on blacktop glanced up to see a large hard-light basketball hoop set up in front of the watchpoint mess hall. Marti was guarding the hoop, in a tense cat-like position while Rajeev was furiously dribbling the ball in front of her, trying to get past her. Marti glanced over her shoulder at them.

“Rei?” Marti blinked a few times and looked at Jaime, “Isn’t that the--”

 She was cut off as Rajeev dipped to the side of her and jumped up to make a slam-dunk, only to have the entire basketball hoop dematerialize with the impact of his weight. He stumbled to the ground and the basketball smacked against the pavement and went flying. Jaime caught it out of the air.

“Boom!” Rajeev threw his arms up into the air, “Dunked it too hard! Too powerful!”

“I’m pretty sure the basket only dissolved because you need to dial up the shock absorption,” said Samir, with a huff.

“Details,” said Rajeev with a hand wave.

“What’s going on?” said Marti, looking between Rei and Jaime, “What’s he doing here?”

“I’m just helping him grab some stuff before he takes off,” said Rei with a shrug.

“...he’s taking off?” said Marti, “What did McCree say?”

“Well...” Rei trailed off.

“Rei,” Marti folded her arms.

“I mean he’s going to run off anyway!” said Rei.

“It’s true,” said Jaime with a shrug, still holding the basketball.

“And go back to stealing and dumpster-diving?” said Marti.

“What do you care?” said Jaime.

“You’re just a kid,” said Marti.

“So?” said Jaime a bit more stiffly.

“And you ran away from Vishkar,” Samir piped up.

“You ran away from Vishkar!?” Rajeev’s face lit up.

“And he outran Rei and Marti for like, 3 hours,” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me, he cheated,” said Rei.

“He outran us,” Marti confirmed. 

“Woah...” Rajeev looked back at Jaime. He pointed at the basketball still in Jaime’s hand, “Wanna play a round?”

“What, just like that?” said Jaime.

Rajeev shrugged. “It’s just basketball. We don’t get a lot of visitors to the Watchpoint.” 

“...I don’t know if that’s a good idea...” Jaime said quietly, bounce-passing the ball to Marti.

“It’s a good idea,” said Marti, bounce-passing the ball back to him.

Jaime looked at her.

“I get what it feels like to not feel safe anywhere,” said Marti, “But...this place...”

“This place is about as safe from Vishkar as you can get,” said Samir, finishing her thought.

Jaime looked down at the ball and then his eyes flicked to Rei. “You don’t actually want to play with me,” he said, bouncing the ball to her.

“I don’t know about ‘play,’” said Rei, dribbling the ball thoughtfully, “But I gotta show the twins that you outrunning me was just a fluke somehow.” She chest-passed it so hard to him he rocked back on his heels.

“Oh it’s like that?” said Jaime, passing the ball back to her.

“It’s like that,” said Rei, bouncing the ball back.

“We can play guys vs. girls!” said Rajeev.

“That’s three on two,” said Samir.

“Two on two, each team gets a twin,” said Marti, “Rei and Rajeev vs Jaime and Samir. Sound fair?”

“What about you?” said Rei.

“I’ll be sneaking stuff out of the mess hall,” said Marti with a slight smile at Jaime, “Just for good faith.”

“How is it good faith if we’re still stea--” Rajeev started but Samir elbowed him.

“I shouldn’t stay that long,” Jaime said, 

“First to five?” said Samir, as he and Rajeev materialized a new hard-light hoop.

“...I’ve got time for first to five,” said Jaime.

----

“I meant to ask,” said Hanzo as the two of them briskly walked out of the hangar, “Did you and  the others come to a consensus about what should be done?” McCree fished the foster home pamphlet out of his back pocket and held it out to Hanzo. “...Ah,” said Hanzo.

“I mean, it’s obvious, ain’t it?” said McCree glancing off, “It’s not like he actually wants to be here...”

Hanzo studied McCree’s profile for a few seconds. “You’re not okay with this,” Hanzo said quietly.

“What?” said McCree, “I mean, I’ll be okay about it. I just gotta...” he trailed off, “Y’know.”

“He’s a lot like you,” said Hanzo, as they walked through one of the watchpoint’s cannibalized server rooms.

“You know, this would be easier if people stopped sayin’ that,” said McCree, pausing to examine a panel which had been removed from the wall.

Hanzo glanced off, “Do you remember when we would look after Rei when Genji and Angela were busy?”

“Oh don’t start---” McCree pressed the brim of his hat down.

“You loved it. You loved her. You listened to her babbling like it was the most important and interesting thing in the world.”

“That’s---”

“You even volunteered us for helping out with the twins when they were born.  And when Marti came to the Watchpoint you were constantly checking in to make sure she was settling in all right.”

“That’s babysitting! That’s kids you can walk away from!” said McCree, as they both walked out of the server room.

“But none of the children on this Watchpoint forgot that. They go to you when they feel like they can’t talk to their parents about something, you haven’t noticed that?”

“Well, maybe that’s because they don’t see me as an authority figure like everyone else--not a good ‘In local parentals’ factor,” said McCree.

“In loco parentis,” said Hanzo.

“See? I don’t know shit!”

“It’s not a matter of them not respecting you, it’s a matter of them seeing you as someone who respects them,” said Hanzo, “You’re coming from a childhood where you were largely relying on yourself... the adult figure you are to these children is the one you wish you had in your life. And it’s why Jaime was able to trust you enough to get his wrist looked at rather than just run off.”

“Hanzo, what are you gettin’ at, here?”

“You want to be a father--You’ve probably wanted to be a father ever since Rei was born. Possibly even earlier.”

“Well yeah, but there’s wanting something, and then knowing you’ll be shit at it,” said McCree, “I’m not like you, all... together.”

“You think I would be a good father?” a laugh rippled Hanzo’s voice and he noted the apparent hurt in McCree’s expression, “Oh... you actually...”

“You were a got-dang wizard with Rei! She still idolizes you! You’re always... prepared!” McCree furrowed his brow and thought for a second, “Did you ever want kids?”

“...In a sense, but...” Hanzo glanced down, “I didn’t think it would be fair to them. My father spent my childhood molding me into another, well, him. And as Genji can probably tell you, he wasn’t a good person. I don’t... I don’t want to inflict that on a child.”

“You would never,” said McCree on reflex, “Me on the other hand...” he shuddered, “If I became another kid’s Reyes...” he trailed off, “...we never really talked about this, did we?” he said at last.

“Well, given the fact that Overwatch is throwing us into near-constant danger and we never had to worry about pregnancy...” Hanzo trailed off, “Let’s just focus on finding him.”

“I hear that,” said McCree, “It ain’t about us. It’s about him.” McCree’s boot hit an odd texture and he glanced down.

“Orange peel,” said Hanzo, plucking up a bit of the waxy rind from the blacktop. They looked at the small trail of bits of orange peel like breadcrumbs through the watchpoint.

“Could be another macaque,” said McCree.

“Too clean,” said Hanzo.

“Welp, it’s a lead,” said McCree, following the trail. It lead them on a meandering path through the watchpoint, a fairly straight line towards the mess hall.

The trail of orange peel tapered off to nothingness and McCree frowned, but then his head jerked up at the sound of Rei shouting. He gave a glance back to Hanzo and both of them picked up their pace, rounding the corner to see Jaime, Rei, and the twins all involved in an intense game of basketball around one hard-light hoop. Rei was passing to Rajeev, getting intercepted by Jaime who would shoot for the basket, only to be intercepted by Rajeev. They didn’t even notice McCree and Hanzo coming out from behind a building’s corner, but McCree hung back. He fished the foster home brochure out of the back of his pocket, he glanced down at the photo of the smiling family at the table laden with pancakes, then glanced back up at the four kids laughing and shouting at each other as they scrambled around the basketball hoop. 

The sensible voice in his head spoke up, saying, Do what’s best for him. He deserves normal, but then an angrier voice spoke, What the hell is normal anyway? There hasn’t been a normal ever since the goddamn Omnic Crisis. It’s not about ‘normal’ it’s about ‘home.’ And when the hell has ‘home’ ever been normal for anyone?

“Jesse?” Hanzo’s voice cut through McCree’s train of thought and McCree glanced over at him, “Do you think we should...?” He looked back at Jaime intercepting a shot from Rei and then laughing about it.

“...I mean, he doesn’t have to go right away, does he?” said McCree, watching as Jaime managed to snatch the ball back from Rajeev and get an assist from Samir.

“Not... right away,” said Hanzo.

I never did any fics surrounding Jaime joining the watchpoint. I should fix that.

Oof this one ended up long. 

In Loco Parentis

------

The mid-morning sunlight streamed through the slats of the watchpoint boardroom.

“We’re not a homeless shelter,” Jack’s arms were folded, “Or an orphanage.”

“You know the situation is more complicated than that,” said McCree, “If he’s fleeing Vishkar---”

“There are thousands of people displaced by Talon, Null Sector, and the Siberian Omnium,” said Jack, “We barely have the resources to sustain ourselves. If we start taking on civilians...”

“Even at the peak of Overwatch’s power, there wasn’t a whole lot they could do about 30 million crisis orphans,” said Sombra.

“But with Marti--” McCree looked over at Sombra, who had several screens open around her head.

“I’m Marti’s legal guardian,” said Sombra, scrolling through one of her screens with a flick of her wrist, “It’s different.”

“So what, we just throw him out?” said McCree.

“Not ‘throw him out,’” said Winston. He cleared his throat and set several pamphlets on the table in front of McCree, “His associating with us also potentially makes him even more of a target for Talon. While I do believe Overwatch is meant to help everyone, we have to be able to delegate what that help looks like.”

McCree picked up one of the pamphlets and his mouth thinned. There was a picture of a handful of kids of varying backgrounds in front of an idyllic suburban house. “...Foster care,” said McCree, “You’re talking about foster care.”

“I can cover his tracks,” said Sombra, “Keep Vishkar from scooping him back up.”

McCree opened up the pamphlet and his eyes glazed over it. Clean. Homey. Normal. He deserved normal. All kids deserved normal.

He’ll be clawing at that pretty flowery wallpaper within two weeks, run off again within a month, thought McCree, He’s too angry. Too scared. Too hungry. He’s seen too much to think he can--No. Shut up. Shut up. You’re projecting. You’re projecting. You’re projecting.

“It’s best if you talk to him,” said Winston, “From his perspective, you’re the closest thing he has to ‘In Loco Parentis.’”

“In local what now?”

“It’s a legal term meaning--” Winston caught himself, “Er--”

“‘In place of a parent,’” said Sombra, she gave McCree a slightly pitying look, “McCree, we all know your story. We know what you’re thinking.”

“What? What am I thinking? That it’s wrong to shove him back into a system that just tossed him into Vishkar’s jaws before?” McCree folded his arms. “I’m just saying, even if we put him in completely anonymously, you know Talon and Vishkar comb through the poorest and most desperate for...their ranks.”

“We have to demonstrate some cooperation with the proper channels,” said Winston.

“Look, we get your concerns but try to see it from our perspective. He’s only a few years younger than you were when Reyes picked you up,” said Sombra, folding her arms, “This is personal for you, we get it---”

“You think I’m emotionally compromised,” said McCree with a scoff.

“Yes,” said Sombra, flatly, “But, it’s because of that compromise that we also trust you to do what’s best for him.” Sombra insistently tapped a finger on the end of the pamphlet McCree was holding for emphasis as she said ‘do what’s best.’

McCree looked down at the pamphlet.

“He’s at a stage you were at once, and I get wanting to help him through that,” Sombra went on, “But we’re fighting against a global corporate-backed terrorist collective and a robot invasion. The best thing we can do for him is get him as far away from it as we can.”

McCree looked at a photo of several children around a table with plates of pancakes as a human and omnic pair of foster parents proudly beamed at the camera. Normal. He deserved normal.

“I’ll... I’ll talk to the kid,” said McCree, itching at the brim of his hat, “I guess... all that matters is getting a roof over his head, right?”

He looked at Jack and found no sympathy in that visor. All that matters is stopping Talon, he could almost hear Jack’s voice.

“Of course,” said Winston, “We have complete faith in you.”

“I mean, unless he’s already stolen everything he could and dipped already,” said Sombra with a slight chuckle.

McCree shot her a dirty look.

“Crisis Orphan mentality,” said Sombra with a shrug, “It’s what I would have done in his place.”

“We ain’t treatin’ him like a criminal!” said McCree.

“He’s literally here because he stole Rei’s backpack,” said Jack, flatly.

“Hanzo’s been keeping an eye on him,” said McCree, “Last I checked he was still asleep. It’ll be fine.”

----

“You lost him!?” McCree was pacing back and forth in front of Hanzo as they stood in an empty watchpoint dormitory, “How do you lose a whole-ass 14-year-old?!”

“I wasn’t going to have him wake up with me staring at him, I thought it prudent to fix something for him to eat for a late breakfast!” said Hanzo. He was holding a now-cold plate of a neatly folded omelette flecked with chives.

“...of all the times for you to switch gears from ninja to Uncle Hanzo...” McCree huffed but Hanzo just furrowed his brows at him. “Sorry--” McCree caught himself, “Sorry. We gotta go find him. Athena?” McCree called and looked around the dorm room. There was no response.

“Did he disable Athena in here?” said Hanzo, shocked.

“If he could run away from a Vishkar orphanage...” McCree pulled out his comm, “Athena, you there? I need Watchpoint surveillance feeds on my comm.”

“If we don’t want him to feel like a criminal, perhaps activating all Watchpoint security isn’t the best way to go about this,” said Hanzo, “We’ll look around for him first. Give him time to come back.”

“In that time he could hop another freighter or--or get hurt! He’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, right?” said McCree.

“Of course he’s cleared with Satya’s turrets, we aren’t savages!” Hanzo retorted, “Every moment we spend arguing is a moment we should be spending making sure he’s all right. Come,” said Hanzo, already briskly walking out

“You gotta be kidding me,” muttered McCree, following behind him.

----

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jaime was hunched over a pried-open panel to see nothing but empty black space. The scent of his own new clothes threw him off, distracted him. The fact that he couldn’t really smell himself anymore was definitely an improvement, but he was wondering how much the stress of getting out of here would undo that. He rooted around in the space, trying to feel for wires, but then huffed.

“The whole watchpoint’s been cannibalized several times over. Any copper or palladium in the walls here has probably been stripped for Mei’s or Athena’s servers,” a voice that seemed to be trying to jam too many syllables in at once while hitting its consonants a little too hard spoke up from behind Jaime, and Jaime glanced over his shoulder to see a familiar girl with thick eyebrows and wild dark hair tied half-back in a yellow ribbon. “There’s no way you can try to get them without getting caught, though,” she added.

“...Psycho,” said Jaime.

“Thief,” said Rei.

“I already said sorry about your stupid backpack,” said Jaime, pushing himself up from his knees and dusting himself off, already walking away.

“And you’re already trying to steal again!” said Rei, huffily pacing after him.

“You know most people don’t steal because they have anything against whoever they’re stealing from, right?” said Jaime, “It’s not about you, or your watch...thing.”

“Watchpoint,” said Rei.

“It’s about survival,” said Jaime.

“So ask!” said Rei, “They’re Overwatch! You think we don’t care about people’s survival?!”

“I really don’t care about your weird army cult thing,” said Jaime, continuing to walk.

“Cult?!” Rei blustered.

“Yeah. Big compound, lots of guns...weird kids who were born here and don’t question the giant weird compound or the guns---”

“Overwatch is trying to save the world from Talon and Null Sector! Trying to save the world isn’t a cult!” said Rei.

Jaime just gave her a semi-pitying look that made her blood boil.

“Well fine! If you want to go back to being a scuzzy little thief, be my guest!” she said, throwing her hands up.

“That’s the plan,” said Jaime, continuing to walk away, “Not like I’m dumb enough to wait for them to hand me off to the police or another orphanage.”

“Fine!” Rei said again, folding her arms, before suddenly catching herself, “Wait---”

Jaime stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

“If you need things before you go, we can give them to you. No stealing,” said Rei, “I mean, obviously you can’t strip Athena or any of the tech, but... clothes and soap and food...” she trailed off.

Jaime’s stomach audibly growled at the word ‘food.’

“...Have you eaten yet today?” said Rei, suddenly alarmed.

“What are you, my mom?” said Jaime with a scoff before his stomach growled again.

“Come with me,” said Rei, briskly stepping up alongside him. She looked to his wrist, fully healed from the sprain thanks to biotics, and took his elbow, “Come on.”

“Is this the cult love-bombing?” said Jaime, being half-dragged behind her, “I’m not going if it’s the cult love-bombing.”

“Oh my god, it’s not love-bombing, I’m just taking you to the garden so you can grab some fruit,” said Rei continuing to drag him along, “It’s closer than the mess hall. You’re less likely to run into the adults there.”

“You have guns, a compound, and a little mini-farm, and you want me to believe you’re not a cult,” said Jaime, flatly. They rounded a corner and walked a narrow path between the hangar and the seaside cliffs.

“I don’t have guns. And Bastion actually does most of the gardening,” said Rei, as they walked.

“Who?” said Jaime, but he blinked several times as the ground opened up  to a wide grassy area bordered by Gibraltar’s rocks and the hangar. There was a line of orange trees up against the hangar, and a significant section of the grass had been carved out to form a small victory garden growing tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, carrots, and corn. Opposite the orange trees were several thrumming beehive boxes, and at the far end of the garden was an apparently well-loved old greenhouse that had gone through several patch-ups over the years, and a knobby little olive tree twisting up next to it, canvas laid out at its roots.

“Thwuh-wheet?” an inquisitive beep came from behind them and both Rei and Jaime quickly turned on their heels to see Bastion looming over them, . Jaime’s breath caught in his throat and he stumbled back. Bastion tilted its boxy head at him.

“...that’s a Bastion unit,” said Jaime, his voice tense in his throat as he took several steps back.

“Bastion doesn’t like to fight,” said Rei, as several birds fluttered around Bastion’s head. Bastion gestured at Jaime with its hand.

“Oh um--he’s.... from school!” said Rei, “He’s just visiting.”

“Right,” Jaime repeated hesitantly, “From... the school.” But then Jaime jumped about a foot in the air as a bright blue teleporter opened at the end of the line of orange trees. Rei stepped in front of Jaime, half-expecting an adult to step out of it, but instead it was only Samir, looking more rumpled than usual in a baggy tank top, basketball shorts, and sandals. The only thing that kept Jaime from breaking out into a dead sprint out of that garden at the slightest sight of hard-light was both Rei and Bastion’s complete non-reaction to the appearance of a teleporter. Samir didn’t seem really aware of them as he materialized a large basket and a hard-light telescoping fruit picker.

“I thought you said Overwatch was against Vishkar!” Jaime hissed from behind Rei as Samir hummed and picked oranges.

“We are,” said Rei, “Samir’s mom--I mean, one of Samir’s moms---well, long story short, you’re not the first person to leave Vishkar.”

Jaime blinked several times, “I’m... I’m not?”

“Rei?” Samir’s head turned toward her as an orange thudded to the ground at his feet, “Who are you talking to?”

Jaime leaned out slightly from behind Bastion and Samir squinted a little.

“Uh...Hi. Jaime. I’m Jaime, from... from school. The school. That I go to. With her,” said Jaime.

“Rei,” Rei said quietly under her breath.

“The school with Rei,” said Jaime, nodding.

Samir gave them both a skeptical look before resuming picking oranges, “You’re hiding,” he said matter-of-factly.

“What? No!” Rei and Jaime’s voices were overlapping each other as they stumbled over several half-thought out excuses.

Samir gave them an impatient ‘Don’t assume I’m dumb’ look and Rei’s shoulders slumped. “Look, it’s complicated,” said Rei, “Okay?”

“Is he a secret boyfriend? You aren’t cheating on Jaz, are you?” said Samir, squinting at her.

“Oh gross! Barf! Like I would cheat on Jaz with Backpack Thief McPubertystache over here!” Rei blurted out, but then she caught herself and looked at Jaime, “I mean.... uh... no.”

“...real flattering,” said Jaime.

“Wait--You stole Rei’s backpack?!” Samir’s face lit up.

“Uh...” Jaime itched at the back of his neck.

“So you outran a ninja and Marti?” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me!” said Rei, indignantly.

“I out parkour’d her,” said Jaime, folding his arms smugly.

“Did not! You caught me on an off-day!” said Rei.

“I out parkour’d her,” Jaime whisper-spoke to Samir and Samir snorted slightly.

“So... you’re still here?” said Samir tilting his head, “I thought Overwatch would have just sent you to your parents or....”

Jaime glanced off and his lips thinned.

“...Oh,” said Samir and he looked to Rei, “Did they say what they were going to do with him or...?”

“I can take care of myself,” said Jaime, firmly, “Rei’s just helping me grab some stuff before I go.”

“...oh,” said Samir, his shoulders slumping slightly, “So you’re going.”

“I’m a wanderer,” said Jaime, putting his hands on his hips, “Erromes.”

“Erro...what?” Samir started.

“A pilgrim,” said Jaime.

“...you’re fourteen,” said Rei, flatly.

“Better than being in a cult,” said Jaime with a shrug.

“We’re not in a---!” Rei huffed before looking at Samir, “We’re just grabbing some food, that’s it.”

Samir shrugged, “Fine by me,” he pulled an orange from his basket and materialized a hard light knife, cutting the orange into neat sections. He held the cut orange out to Jaime. Jaime gave a wary glance to Rei before stepping over to Samir and taking the cut orange.

“Rei said you escaped Vishkar?” said Samir.

“...yeah,” said Jaime, trying to eat the orange slices as casually as possible despite how hungry he was.

“What was it like?” said Samir.

Jaime just paled slightly and Samir caught himself, “Sorry just... Mom hates them too, but she’s never talks about it, you know?”

“They always try and leave us out of that kind of stuff,” muttered Rei, interlacing her fingers behind her head.

“What’s the cowboy’s deal?” said Jaime, in-between bites of orange.

“Uncle Jesse?” said Rei,

“Like... why is he a cowboy?” said Jaime.

“Why are you a pilgrim if you keep freaking out and calling us a cult?” said Rei, arching an eyebrow.

“Pilgrims understand there are no easy answers,” said Jaime, airily.

“The way we live isn’t an easy answer,” said Rei with a scoff, “I’m scared of my parents dying, or my uncles dying, or anyone else on this Watchpoint dying. Like, all the time. And I’m scared of losing my home. All the time.”

“...oh,” said Jaime.

“You thought this was easy?” said Rei.

“...you go to school, and you have lunches and...” Jaime trailed off. Rei was glancing off, too.

An awkward pause passed between the three of them. Bastion at this point seemed to occupy itself with weeding the garden.

“No one knows why McCree’s a cowboy,” said Samir, at last, “That’s just how he is.” Another long pause passed and Samir cleared his throat. “You know, you’re probably going to want food with a longer shelf-life so..”

“Mess hall!” Rei blurted out.

“Right,” said Samir, spinning another teleporter into existence.

Jaime visibly tensed at the sight of another teleporter and Samir quickly waved it off into sparkling oblivion with a flick of his wrist. “Or we could walk! Walking is good!”

“‘We?’” said Rei.

“Well it’s not like we get a lot of visitors,” said Samir, hefting up his basket of oranges and stepping up next to them. Samir and Rei gave a wave to Bastion, who only briefly glanced up from a butterfly resting on a tomato flower to wave back at them as they left the garden.

“...so you live on the Watchpoint too?” said Jaime, walking with Rei and Samir. The three of them walked another cliffside path to a road that needed some re-paving ribboning through the watchpoint. Jaime was periodically grabbing oranges out of Samir’s basket, peeling and eating them as they walked.

“There’s just four of us,” said Samir, “There’s Rei, Marti, me, and my brother, Rajeev. We actually all go to the same school, but Rajeev and I are in lower grades.”

“Ah...” said Jaime, now feeling a little foolish for trying to keep up the ‘I’m Rei’s classmate’ lie, “...and your parents just... teach you being about being a ninja or using hard-light?”

“It took forever to convince Dad and Uncle to let me start training,” said Rei with a huff,  “Dad was okay with me learning Kendo, but he and Mom were so weird about me learning any actual ninja stuff. But I was climbing everything on the Watchpoint anyway so Uncle started teaching me stuff ‘so I wouldn’t hurt myself.’”

“For me, my Mom just uses hard-light for everything,” said Samir with a shrug, “It’s just kind of how we do everything. Cooking, cleaning, exercise---”

“Basketball,” said Rei as the road opened up to the watchpoint tarmac.

“That falls under exer--oh,” Samir was cut off by the pang pang pang of a basketball on blacktop glanced up to see a large hard-light basketball hoop set up in front of the watchpoint mess hall. Marti was guarding the hoop, in a tense cat-like position while Rajeev was furiously dribbling the ball in front of her, trying to get past her. Marti glanced over her shoulder at them.

“Rei?” Marti blinked a few times and looked at Jaime, “Isn’t that the--”

 She was cut off as Rajeev dipped to the side of her and jumped up to make a slam-dunk, only to have the entire basketball hoop dematerialize with the impact of his weight. He stumbled to the ground and the basketball smacked against the pavement and went flying. Jaime caught it out of the air.

“Boom!” Rajeev threw his arms up into the air, “Dunked it too hard! Too powerful!”

“I’m pretty sure the basket only dissolved because you need to dial up the shock absorption,” said Samir, with a huff.

“Details,” said Rajeev with a hand wave.

“What’s going on?” said Marti, looking between Rei and Jaime, “What’s he doing here?”

“I’m just helping him grab some stuff before he takes off,” said Rei with a shrug.

“...he’s taking off?” said Marti, “What did McCree say?”

“Well...” Rei trailed off.

“Rei,” Marti folded her arms.

“I mean he’s going to run off anyway!” said Rei.

“It’s true,” said Jaime with a shrug, still holding the basketball.

“And go back to stealing and dumpster-diving?” said Marti.

“What do you care?” said Jaime.

“You’re just a kid,” said Marti.

“So?” said Jaime a bit more stiffly.

“And you ran away from Vishkar,” Samir piped up.

“You ran away from Vishkar!?” Rajeev’s face lit up.

“And he outran Rei and Marti for like, 3 hours,” said Samir.

“He didn’t outrun me, he cheated,” said Rei.

“He outran us,” Marti confirmed. 

“Woah...” Rajeev looked back at Jaime. He pointed at the basketball still in Jaime’s hand, “Wanna play a round?”

“What, just like that?” said Jaime.

Rajeev shrugged. “It’s just basketball. We don’t get a lot of visitors to the Watchpoint.” 

“...I don’t know if that’s a good idea...” Jaime said quietly, bounce-passing the ball to Marti.

“It’s a good idea,” said Marti, bounce-passing the ball back to him.

Jaime looked at her.

“I get what it feels like to not feel safe anywhere,” said Marti, “But...this place...”

“This place is about as safe from Vishkar as you can get,” said Samir, finishing her thought.

Jaime looked down at the ball and then his eyes flicked to Rei. “You don’t actually want to play with me,” he said, bouncing the ball to her.

“I don’t know about ‘play,’” said Rei, dribbling the ball thoughtfully, “But I gotta show the twins that you outrunning me was just a fluke somehow.” She chest-passed it so hard to him he rocked back on his heels.

“Oh it’s like that?” said Jaime, passing the ball back to her.

“It’s like that,” said Rei, bouncing the ball back.

“We can play guys vs. girls!” said Rajeev.

“That’s three on two,” said Samir.

“Two on two, each team gets a twin,” said Marti, “Rei and Rajeev vs Jaime and Samir. Sound fair?”

“What about you?” said Rei.

“I’ll be sneaking stuff out of the mess hall,” said Marti with a slight smile at Jaime, “Just for good faith.”

“How is it good faith if we’re still stea--” Rajeev started but Samir elbowed him.

“I shouldn’t stay that long,” Jaime said, 

“First to five?” said Samir, as he and Rajeev materialized a new hard-light hoop.

“...I’ve got time for first to five,” said Jaime.

----

“I meant to ask,” said Hanzo as the two of them briskly walked out of the hangar, “Did you and  the others come to a consensus about what should be done?” McCree fished the foster home pamphlet out of his back pocket and held it out to Hanzo. “...Ah,” said Hanzo.

“I mean, it’s obvious, ain’t it?” said McCree glancing off, “It’s not like he actually wants to be here...”

Hanzo studied McCree’s profile for a few seconds. “You’re not okay with this,” Hanzo said quietly.

“What?” said McCree, “I mean, I’ll be okay about it. I just gotta...” he trailed off, “Y’know.”

“He’s a lot like you,” said Hanzo, as they walked through one of the watchpoint’s cannibalized server rooms.

“You know, this would be easier if people stopped sayin’ that,” said McCree, pausing to examine a panel which had been removed from the wall.

Hanzo glanced off, “Do you remember when we would look after Rei when Genji and Angela were busy?”

“Oh don’t start---” McCree pressed the brim of his hat down.

“You loved it. You loved her. You listened to her babbling like it was the most important and interesting thing in the world.”

“That’s---”

“You even volunteered us for helping out with the twins when they were born.  And when Marti came to the Watchpoint you were constantly checking in to make sure she was settling in all right.”

“That’s babysitting! That’s kids you can walk away from!” said McCree, as they both walked out of the server room.

“But none of the children on this Watchpoint forgot that. They go to you when they feel like they can’t talk to their parents about something, you haven’t noticed that?”

“Well, maybe that’s because they don’t see me as an authority figure like everyone else--not a good ‘In local parentals’ factor,” said McCree.

“In loco parentis,” said Hanzo.

“See? I don’t know shit!”

“It’s not a matter of them not respecting you, it’s a matter of them seeing you as someone who respects them,” said Hanzo, “You’re coming from a childhood where you were largely relying on yourself... the adult figure you are to these children is the one you wish you had in your life. And it’s why Jaime was able to trust you enough to get his wrist looked at rather than just run off.”

“Hanzo, what are you gettin’ at, here?”

“You want to be a father--You’ve probably wanted to be a father ever since Rei was born. Possibly even earlier.”

“Well yeah, but there’s wanting something, and then knowing you’ll be shit at it,” said McCree, “I’m not like you, all... together.”

“You think I would be a good father?” a laugh rippled Hanzo’s voice and he noted the apparent hurt in McCree’s expression, “Oh... you actually...”

“You were a got-dang wizard with Rei! She still idolizes you! You’re always... prepared!” McCree furrowed his brow and thought for a second, “Did you ever want kids?”

“...In a sense, but...” Hanzo glanced down, “I didn’t think it would be fair to them. My father spent my childhood molding me into another, well, him. And as Genji can probably tell you, he wasn’t a good person. I don’t... I don’t want to inflict that on a child.”

“You would never,” said McCree on reflex, “Me on the other hand...” he shuddered, “If I became another kid’s Reyes...” he trailed off, “...we never really talked about this, did we?” he said at last.

“Well, given the fact that Overwatch is throwing us into near-constant danger and we never had to worry about pregnancy...” Hanzo trailed off, “Let’s just focus on finding him.”

“I hear that,” said McCree, “It ain’t about us. It’s about him.” McCree’s boot hit an odd texture and he glanced down.

“Orange peel,” said Hanzo, plucking up a bit of the waxy rind from the blacktop. They looked at the small trail of bits of orange peel like breadcrumbs through the watchpoint.

“Could be another macaque,” said McCree.

“Too clean,” said Hanzo.

“Welp, it’s a lead,” said McCree, following the trail. It lead them on a meandering path through the watchpoint, a fairly straight line towards the mess hall.

The trail of orange peel tapered off to nothingness and McCree frowned, but then his head jerked up at the sound of Rei shouting. He gave a glance back to Hanzo and both of them picked up their pace, rounding the corner to see Jaime, Rei, and the twins all involved in an intense game of basketball around one hard-light hoop. Rei was passing to Rajeev, getting intercepted by Jaime who would shoot for the basket, only to be intercepted by Rajeev. They didn’t even notice McCree and Hanzo coming out from behind a building’s corner, but McCree hung back. He fished the foster home brochure out of the back of his pocket, he glanced down at the photo of the smiling family at the table laden with pancakes, then glanced back up at the four kids laughing and shouting at each other as they scrambled around the basketball hoop. 

The sensible voice in his head spoke up, saying, Do what’s best for him. He deserves normal, but then an angrier voice spoke, What the hell is normal anyway? There hasn’t been a normal ever since the goddamn Omnic Crisis. It’s not about ‘normal’ it’s about ‘home.’ And when the hell has ‘home’ ever been normal for anyone?

“Jesse?” Hanzo’s voice cut through McCree’s train of thought and McCree glanced over at him, “Do you think we should...?” He looked back at Jaime intercepting a shot from Rei and then laughing about it.

“...I mean, he doesn’t have to go right away, does he?” said McCree, watching as Jaime managed to snatch the ball back from Rajeev and get an assist from Samir.

“Not... right away,” said Hanzo.