[bearded-vulture]

Do you have any favourite Overwatch fics? Or ones that you are really excited to see the end of when/if they get finished?

Honestly I had to really think about this one but I have a few favourites I always go back to

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

More realistic ABO with pre-fall of Overwatch Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes with Cassidy as their kid. I’m usually not a big fan of ABO or mpreg but this series is really well written and everyone’s in character.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

POV Tracer starting from the recall to decades afterwards. Best second person POV fic I’ve ever read by a long shot. Written in 2017 so it deviates from the lore a lot and most characters aren’t included which is unfortunate, but I’ve binge read all 100k words in one sitting more than once, it’s just that good.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Hanzo and Genji focusing on Hanzo’s completely unmanaged PTSD. Heavy divergence from canon where Hanzo knew Genji was alive the entire time, no Overwatch recall, etc. I really love the depiction of Hanzo’s mental health issues and how he opens up over the course of the fic, and the flashbacks leading up to Genji’s death at the start of each chapter.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Blackwatch Genji and Cassidy bringing a half-dragon, very fucked up Hanzo back to Overwatch. This shit hurts so good. It’s tagged no happy ending and major character death for a reason. I love it though.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Massive series of short fics mostly following Pharah and Mercy’s relationship, but also including other characters. A lot of Ana as well. I don’t think I’ve read every fic here but they are extremely well written.

[bearded-vulture]

It’s really unfortunate that we never got more of an exploration of how Hanzo and Mizuki contrast each other and the similarities between their lives.

Like do you think Hanzo feels resentment that Mizuki was able to recognise that he was being abused and conditioned and fight back against his abuser before he hurt those closest to him? Maybe he’s jealous that Mizuki was able to defect and realise what was happening so young, and to have a support system in place as soon as he escaped the abuse, rather than being alone for so long like Hanzo was.

Does Mizuki look at Hanzo and think “that could have been me”? Was interacting with Hanzo part of the reason he was able to fight back against Shion, because he could see himself in Hanzo? Maybe he saw Hanzo after a nightmare or flashback of his and Genji’s fight and realised he could end up the same way if he hurt Kiriko or the other Yokai.

Did Hanzo see Kiriko’s rejection of Mizuki and think that was how Genji should treat him? Or that maybe that was how Kiriko wants to treat him, but she only kept him around because he was useful?

Does Mizuki feel jealous that Genji was able to forgive Hanzo despite the harm he faced, but Kiriko isn’t able to fully forgive him despite how he was able to fight his abuser in order to side with her?

I think there could easily be a negative feedback cycle between the two of them, where they both think the other had it worse and that means what they went through wasn’t so bad.

Mizuki seems more able to recognise how Shion harmed him than Hanzo, who still doesn’t really seem to recognise how the clan hurt him and still looks up to his abusive father. Maybe Mizuki tries to explore the conditioning he went through with someone who went through something similar, only for Hanzo to insist it wasn’t so bad, because he went through the same thing and can’t see how it harmed him, setting them both back. Or maybe it helps Hanzo, with him listening to Mizuki explain how Shion hurt him and Hanzo finally starting to see how those same things effected him as well.

I think there’s similarities in how they were both taught they were privileged despite the abuse they were facing. Mizuki was a cursed child who should be glad Shion took him in, while Hanzo was lucky to be born as the heir to the Shimada clan. How they both needed to work hard in order to keep their position.

[bearded-vulture]

I headcanon that Genji used to be quite short before his death and asked Angela to make him taller so he could look down on Hanzo before he killed him. Unfortunately there’s only so much height you can really add with prosthetic legs so Genji still ended up an inch shorter. It really pissed him off at first but he more or less stopped caring after a while.

Eventually Hanzo asks why Genji’s taller now so he tells Hanzo how he asked to be made taller than him (leaving out the part about killing him). Hanzo finds it hilarious and occasionally brings it up to mock Genji, who regrets telling him.

[ohwyrmm]

I wasn't super into Genji's outfit in the music video and I think they both look too young. Hanzo is 19 years older than Kiriko. By the very nature of her being like. Alive and sentient he has to be at least 25 here

[bearded-vulture]

Please write that fic. That's such a good idea (I love seeing Genji and Hanzo emotionally destroyed), I need to see it happen omg

https://archiveofourown.org/works/87742566

Done :)

Here is the painting that is referenced in the fic:

[bearded-vulture]

Shion should absolutely show a video of Hanzo and Genji’s fight to every Overwatch agent in Tokyo (especially Genji, Hanzo, and Kiriko of course) when they go to rescue to Genji. I’m so sure she has that shit recorded and is just waiting for the perfect time to try and destroy Hanzo and Genji’s newly rekindled relationship. She probably rewatches it every time one of them pisses her off

Imagine like:

“Just look at what he did to you… Is that really someone you want to forgive? And Vivi, is that really someone you want on your team?”

Meanwhile Hanzo’s frozen but just absolutely freaking out on the inside. All the progress he’s made in the last few months with the Yokai is gone in an instant. The video stops and now everyone is just looking at him with these horrified expressions and he just runs because he can’t handle it.

And Genji’s stuck between chasing after Hanzo and making sure he’s alright and knows he’s forgiven and just curling up in a little ball and crying because sure he’s recovered from the trauma he faced but that doesn’t mean he was ready to see that 

[bearded-vulture]

No but if you really think about Sonar is kind of like if a vampire was a werewolf. Coupé would be fascinated by the concept and hate herself for it

[bearded-vulture]

Do you think Sonar can loaf in his mega bat form…

[bearded-vulture]

“John Walker peaked in high school-“ like ok at least he made it to high school

[bearded-vulture]

I’ve seen a lot of fics going down the avenue of Alpine hating John but can you imagine how pissed Bucky would be if John became Alpine’s favourite person. Every time he sees Alpine curled up on John’s lap he tries to move her while giving John a death glare. Hes mad at John and jealous of him and mad because he’s jealous.

John’s pretty neutral on cats but plays it up just to piss off Bucky. Takes every chance he can to snuggle Alpine when Bucky’s in the room and they both give him identical smug looks while he seethes. John calls himself Alpine’s cat dad and Bucky breaks whatever he’s holding.

[bearded-vulture]

Any other John Walker fans also fans of Peacemaker? Cause I feel like they’re very similar characters.

John being haunted by Lemar’s death which he blames himself for is like how Chris is haunted by Keith’s death which he blames himself for.

John killing that Flagsmasher is like how Chris killed Rick Flag.

John tentatively working with Bucky only for Bucky to attack him and break his arm after he killed the Flagsmasher is kind of like how Bloodsport shot Chris after he killed Rick Flag.

The Thunderbolts being to John what the Eleventh Street Kids are to Chris.

[bearded-vulture]

The team thinking John’s an idiot for always jumping in front of them and taking all the hits then realising he’s actually a good strategist. He’s not taking the hits because he’s too dumb to dodge them, he’s using his body as a shield because he would willingly sacrifice his life to keep the others safe.

[keira-draws]

This but color pt....5

[genericmoshcall]

combining two of my favourite dysfunctional family films for a poster design

Thunderbolts* (2025) & Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

[bearded-vulture]

Imo a big part of John’s narrative purpose in TFATWS is to show how a person can be used by the Government (or other authority figures) as a tool for upholding white supremacy without being racist themselves.

Like obviously John was chosen to be Captain America because he’s a white guy with blond hair and blue eyes, but John makes it pretty clear throughout the first few episodes TFATWS that he wants to be Captain America so he can help people.

Then he fucks up and kills one of the Flag Smashers after Lemar dies and suddenly he’s not the perfect figurehead the Government wants him to be, so they get rid of him.

His speech when he’s discharged is powerful because he’s right. He is what they made him. If John had killed Nico where there were no cameras I doubt the Government would have had an issue with it. The problem is that now they can’t push the narrative of their blue eyed blond haired saintly hero. So they get rid of him.

I’d really like to see this aspect of John’s character explored more. I also think seeing how Lemar fits into this as a black man would be super interesting. I understand the purpose of killing him off and the effects it has on John both during and after TFATWS but I’d love to see him alive again to explore his and John’s relationship after how drastically John’s life has changed since Lemar’s death.

[foevic]

Losing it all

[bearded-vulture]

Every time I open this tab I have to look at this ugly ass fucking picture. Like they really couldn’t have picked anything else. Anything at all